Decorations and colors: People decorate their homes with red paper decorations and lanterns. Red is considered a lucky color that scares away evil spirits.
Fireworks: At midnight on New Year's Eve, there are huge firework displays to welcome the new year and drive away bad luck.
Family time: It's a time for families to gather for a big reunion dinner and celebrate together.
Lucky money: Children receive red envelopes, (called "hongbao" in Mandarin) filled with money as gifts.
Find the hidden link to see which Chinese Zodiac symbol you are! Could you be a tiger, dragon, goat, or the monkey?
Long ago, the Jade Emperor looked down from his palace and decided to create a way to measure time. He organized a race across a river for all the animals. The first twelve to cross would have a year named after them in the Chinese zodiac.
The clever Rat hitched a ride on the Ox's back but jumped off at the last moment to win first place. The Ox came second, followed by the Tiger, Rabbit, and Dragon. The Snake slithered up and down, past the Horse to take sixth place. The Goat, Monkey, and Rooster worked together on a raft, paddling left and right to claim eighth, ninth, and tenth spots. The Dog got distracted by bathing and came eleventh, while the Pig stopped for a snack and nap, finishing last. This curly-tailed guy was feeling pretty down in the dumps.
Malaysia New Year image created by James Abela
