2022 Chinese New Year, which is also called the Spring Festival, starts from 1st February 2022. Our team pulled up some fun facts related to the celebration of the Chinese New Year.

· 春运(chūn yùn) Spring Festival Travel Rush

During the Chinese New Year, no matter where Chinese people are, they all try their best to return home for a family reunion – just like westerners attempting to spend Christmas with their families. Meanwhile, some families travel together during the holidays. So there will be a period of travel in China with an extremely high traffic load around the time of the Chinese New Year. The travel season in China usually begins 15 days before New Year’s Day and lasts for around 40 days. The total trips made by plane, train, bus and ship can reach nearly 3 billion. It has been called the largest annual human migration in the world. However, since the outbreak of Covid-19, people have been encouraged to celebrate the Chinese New Year locally to reduce the spread of the virus.

· Chinese New Year in Other Countries

Chinese New Year is also a public holiday in countries such as Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, North Korea, Singapore, South Korea, and Vietnam. Although the Chinese New Year is not a public holiday in countries like the United Kingdom or the United States, it has become a worldwide festival. During the Chinese New Year many China towns located in the UK organise attractive family-friendly activities, such as the lion dance, music performances to celebrate the New Year with local people.

· Different Celebrations Fitting in a Long Holiday

The date of Chinese New Year actually changes each year, so China’s central government opts to shift working days to accommodate a longer public holiday. Chinese people normally enjoy 7 days public holidays, but actually, the festival atmosphere would last until the 15th day of the first month of the new year. The peak time of the entire celebration is on Chinese New Year’s Eve and the first day of the lunar new year. The Chinese celebrate the New Year with different customs every day from the first to the fifteenth day. For example, on the first day dumplings are made and reunion dinners are served in a big family; on the second day a son-in-law visits his mother-in-law’s house to show the respect and love; on the third day friends hang out together; on the fourth day Chinese people welcome the God of Wealth at home; on the fifth day firecrackers are set off to drive away poverty and disease. In the end, the 15th day which is called Lantern Festival marks the end of the celebration with some beautiful light shows.

Which fun fact surprised you the most?

By Professor Ping Zhang