Celebrations have begun all over the UK to bring in the start of the Chinese New Year.
Tower bar in Lincoln hosted an event for students and locals to gather and participate in traditional Chinese culture and food to kick off the lunar New Year.
Bar Manager Matthew Venis said: “we need to try and bring everyone in and make everybody feel welcome and make sure that everyone learns and takes part in different cultures.”
Well what is the Chinese New Year and where did it come from?
Here is the LSJ guide to understanding this beautiful tradition.
Where does it come from?
The celebrations originate from a rich history of legends and myths, one of the most popular being that of the beast, Nian.
This mythical creature threatened the peace of the people and brought mass destruction.
In response, they would decorate their homes with beautiful red ornaments and use fireworks to scare the beast, as these were its only weaknesses.
This is where the traditional decorations and ceremonies come from that we still see today.
Why doesn’t it start on the 31st of December?
The calendar that we all use and is set in everyday life, doesn’t correlate with the start of the Chinese New Year.
This is because the Chinese New Year is set according to the lunar calendar, based on the phases of the moon.
Whereas the calendar that is set on our phone, computers and clocks is based on movements of the Earth-orbiting the sun.
Most around the globe now follow the solar, or Gregorian calendar, but the Chinese New Year is still celebrated and is often referred to as the Spring Festival, with week-long of events.
Why is it the year of the PIG?
The Pig is one of twelve zodiac animals that make up a twelve-year cycle that many use to determine different personality traits and destinies.
This year being the year of the Pig, which symbolizes wealth, has a beautiful personality and is blessed with good fortune in life.
Celebrations are happening internationally and right next door, as Tower Bar is bringing cultures together by hosting an array of activities.
People were able to take part in traditional Chinese calligraphy, as well as practice with chopsticks and sample Chinese delicacies provided on a specially made menu for the week’s celebrations.
Sophia Lui is Vice President International who organized the event to bring students and the community together for the celebrations.
She said; “ I wanted to share the event for people to come and see different cultures so you can see people writing in Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese, I think it’s a great thing for British students to learn about Asian culture, as an Asian student myself, to be proud to share our culture.”
There have also been plans for the rest of the week along with the menu as well as selling dumplings and decorating the bar.