ST. LOUIS — Roughly 1.5 billion people across the world celebrate Lunar New Year every year. It's a time to eat great food and honor family in many countries including China, Vietnam, Indonesia, The Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, the United States, and Korea.
The Lunar New Year is the start of the Lunar calendar. That's why some cultures celebrate for up to two weeks when the full moon comes in. The New Moon started on February 1, and the full moon happens on February 16.
This year is the year of the Tiger. Specifically, it's the year of the water tiger. Babies born this year are called competitive, brave, and agile.
Here are 5 other things to know about the Lunar New Year:
Many cultures use red envelopes filled with money
It's a tradition to give a bright red envelope to friends and family. This is a special envelope filled with money to symbolize good wishes and good luck for the new year ahead. Not all cultures use a red envelope, for example, many Koreans will use white envelopes or none at all but will give money to young children after a traditional bowing ceremony. Envelopes with money are typically given from older people to younger people, from bosses to employees and from grandparents to grandkids.
Many cultures eat auspicious foods to celebrate the New Year
Many foods are eaten to represent good luck or wealth. This might include dumplings or rice cakes. In some cultures, they say the more dumplings you eat, the more money you'll make in the new year.
The Lunar New Year date changes every year.
It might be hard to remember the Lunar New Year because the date changes each year as the lunar calendar changes. Some cultures and generations use the lunar calendar to mark their birth year, which can make remembering birthdays a little confusing! Typically the Lunar New Year falls between January 21 and February 20.
You aren't supposed to do certain things at the start of the new year
Did you know, you're not supposed to wash, sweep or take out the garbage during the start of the Lunar New Year? It is often seen as washing your fortune away. Sweeping up and taking out the garbage symbolizes removing good luck from the house so people avoid it.
You can give other nice gifts for the holiday
Depending on who you're giving to, tea sets, alcohol, or even tobacco can be good gifts for friends. Elders love getting clothing items like scarves, gloves, or hats, as long as they're not green! Green can be a way of saying somebody is jealous. Oranges and tangerines often play a big role during the holiday, too, because they're believed to bring good luck and fortune due to the way they're pronounced and written — the word for orange also sounds like the word for success in some cultures.