Hendric's: Chinese Lunar New Year

Its only a few days to go before the start of Chinese New Year celebration which falls on the 7th and 8th February 2008 here in Malaysia and around the world especially Asia. Chinese New Year is observed as a public holiday here in Malaysia and other countries and territories where a sizable Chinese population resides. And not forgetting that its the year of the Rat this year based on the Chinese horoscopes.

Chinese New Year or the Lunar New Year is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays and is an important holiday in East Asia. The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th which is called Lantern Festival.

Celebrated in areas with large populations of ethnic Chinese, Chinese New Year is considered a major holiday for the Chinese and has had a strong influence on the new year celebrations of its geographic neighbours, as well as cultures with whom the Chinese have had extensive interaction. It is celebrated in countries like Malaysia, Singapore, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Canada etc.

The Chinese New Year celebrations are marked by visits to kin, relatives and friends. New clothings are usually worn to signify a new year with the colour red is liberally used in all decorations. Red packets are given to juniors and children by the married and elders. Lion dances are common during Chinese New Year. It is believed that the loud beats of the drum and the deafening sounds of the cymbals together with the face of the lion dancing aggressively can evict bad or evil spirits.

I would like to wish everyone a Happy Chinese New Year and a great holiday and here's some nice pictures of Chinese New Year celebration around the world.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia