February 03, 2011 - January 22, 2012 marks the Chinese zodiac, Year of the Rabbit.
This year, marks the “Year of the Rabbit”, according to the Chinese calendar. The year 2011 is the Xin-Mao year as the Chinese say.
Mao means Rabbit in Chinese, which is fourth member of the group of twelve terrestrial branches, which includes Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and pig when named sequentially. Xen stands for metal in Chinese, which is the eight member of a terrestrial stem group. The Chinese zodiac for the “Year of the Rabbit” begines on February 03, 2011 and last until Jan 22, 2012.
The New Year celebrations, set to begin soon and lasts for a total of 15 days, starting from the New Year’s Eve. The celebrations run from February 2 through February 15, the day of the lantern festival celebration. The festivities are at its peak during the lantern festival. On this occasion, the Niu Yangge dance is performed in some parts of china as families meet, light firecrackers, and exchange New Year greetings. In addition, the traditional lion dance is performed during the lantern festivals.
Most celebrate on New Year’s Eve by cleaning their house thoroughly, which is symbolic of removing last year’s dirt. Afterwards, the house is decorated with red and green banners, symbolizing good fortune and kumquat trees symbolizing good health.
As a part of the celebration, the youth are given money in red packets called Hong Bao, decorated with lucky symbols. During the holidays, families reunite and dine as another expression of celebration. Throughout the 15-day celebration, oranges are exchanged, wishing good health and prosperity in the New Year.
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