Chinese New Year 2021: ushers in the year of the ox

Chinese New Year falls on February 12 this year, as we say goodbye to the Year of the Rat and usher in the Year of the Ox.

Here’s a quick guide to the 15-day Lunar New Year / Spring Festival party and all that it entails.

Year of the Metal Ox

While you may have heard of the 12-year-old Chinese zodiac calendar, represented by 12 different animals, this one is actually much more complicated.

A year is not only categorized by its zodiac animal. There is also a complex sixty-year cycle – a combination of one of the 10 heavenly stems and one of the 12 earthly branches.

For example, February 12 marks the beginning of the xin chou years, according to the sixty-year cycle. “Xin” represents the celestial root for the element of metal, while “chou” is the earthly branch symbol for ox, making it the Year of the Metal Ox.

We asked Thierry Chow, a Hong Kong feng shui master, to share her thoughts on what this means for the coming year.

“The year of xin chou will put a strong emphasis on the yin metallic element,” she says. “The metal element represents everything that sparkles, from jewelry to the needle of a syringe, so we see a greater emphasis on metal industries in 2021.

“The ox is a hardworking zodiac sign in Chinese culture. It usually indicates movements, so hopefully the world will be less static than last year and get moving again in the second half of the year. ”

Many people take the 60-year calendar very seriously and believe that everyone’s own birth sign will be affected differently by the celestial stems and earthly branches of the year. So the calendar plays an important role in making big life decisions for the coming year, such as whether to get married or start a business.

Followers believe that luck for each of the Chinese zodiac signs will largely depend on the positions of the Tai Sui – the stars directly opposite Jupiter.

If your constellation collides with Tai Sui – also known as the Grand Duke of Jupiter – in a particular year – you could experience disruptions.

“People born in the Year of the Ox will meet their ‘Ben Ming Nian’ – your own zodiac year,” said Chow. “So there will be more changes and instability in general.”

People born in the Year of the Goat will face Tai Sui (Ying Tai Sui) this year, “which means a tremendous change is ahead,” Chow says.

That said, followers believe there are ways to improve your luck.

“Some people will resolve their conflicts with Tai Sui by participating in celebrations such as getting married or attending more positive events,” Chow said.

But the feng shui master is quick to remind us that this is just a general overview of what the year means for each zodiac animal. In Chinese geomancy, each person’s birthday card is made up of a wide variety of elements, such as the day and time of their birth, which means they can interact with the year a little differently.

Preparations for the Lunar New Year during Covid-19

The pandemic has forced many to change the way they celebrate Lunar New Year.

In response, some tourist sites offer free access to those forced to spend the holidays outside of their families. Meanwhile, companies have launched tools to help people have a “lunar new year in the clouds,” with everything from virtual markets to conference tools for online reunion dinners.

But no matter how someone celebrates, it takes a lot of preparation if you want to follow the Lunar New Year rulebook.

It all starts about a week before the new year.

On the 26th day of the last lunar month – February 7th this year – festive cakes and puddings are made. The word for cakes and puddings is “gao” in Mandarin or “go” in Cantonese, which sounds the same as long, which means improvements and growth for the following year.

The great cleansing will take place on the 28th day, which is February 9th this year.

Good luck banners for the Lunar New Year are put up on the 29th day, February 10.

Normally, Lunar New Year fairs are held during the last days of the lunar year, selling most of the trinkets and flowers for the New Year. But due to the pandemic, many cities have cut back or canceled their festivities.

The year usually ends with a large family reunion dinner on Lunar New Year’s Eve, which falls on February 11 this year.

The menu has been carefully chosen and includes dishes related to happiness, including fish (the Chinese word for it sounds like the word for “surplus”), pudding (symbolizing progress) and foods that look like gold bars (such as dumplings).

After the party, families stay up after midnight to welcome the New Year.

The whole festival lasts 15 days

While many Western countries refer to Chinese New Year / Spring Festival, keep in mind that it is celebrated not only in Chinese communities around the world, but also in other Asian countries such as Vietnam and South Korea.

Countries that celebrate the Lunar New Year often offer three to seven days of holidays, but celebrations are not complete until the 15th day of the first lunar month, also known as the Lantern Festival. (Chinese New Year in 2021 lasts from February 12 to February 26.)

Families usually have different rules and traditions, but most will bless each other with auspicious words like “san tai gin hong” or “shen ti jian kang” (wish you good health).

During normal times, when people are not in lockdown, they are expected to visit relatives and friends during the festival, except on the third day of the month. Day three of the Lunar New Year (which falls on Valentine’s Day this year) is called chi cold or red mouth. It is believed that arguments are more likely to occur on this day so that people will visit temples and avoid social interactions.

There are many other rules and superstitions associated with the Lunar New Year. For example, do not wash or cut your hair on the first day of the new year. The Chinese character for her is the first character in the word for prosperity. Therefore, washing up or cutting off is seen as washing away your fortune.

You will also want to avoid buying shoes all lunar month, as the term for shoes (shark) sounds like lose and sigh in Cantonese.

During the festival, hosts will prepare candy boxes and snacks for their guests. Married couples are expected to hand out red packages full of cash to children and unmarried adults to wish them good luck.

The seventh day (February 18) is said to be the day on which the Chinese mother goddess Nuwa created humanity and is therefore called renri (the birthday of the people).

Different communities in Asia serve different birthday foods that day. For instance, people in Malaysia enjoy yeesang, or a “prosperity throw” of raw fish and shredded vegetables, while Cantonese people eat sweet rice balls.

The highlight comes on the last day (February 26). In ancient Chinese society, it was the only day when young girls could go outside to admire lanterns and meet boys. So it is also called Chinese Valentine’s Day.

Today, huge lantern displays and fairs are still held in cities around the world on the last day of the festival.