Chinese New Year 2023 falls on Sunday, January 22, 2023. 2023 is also the Year of the Rabbit, while 2022 is the Year of the Tiger. Chinese New Year celebrations last up to 16 days, but only the first seven days are considered a public holiday.

The Preparation

Preparations for the New Year begin on January 14, 2023, and last until New Year's Eve (January 21). All stores are closed during the festival's first five days, so people must stock up on New Year supplies.

During this week, people start house cleaning to sweep away bad luck and pray to the stove god. They prepare sugar melons or stove candies, wheat cakes, and tofu soup.

People have a reunion dinner on New Year's Eve, the year's most important meal. The children receive red envelopes, and the family stays late waiting for the New Year.

What happens during the Spring Festival?

January 22

They start the day with firecrackers and greeting and blessing their neighbors. It is forbidden to sweep or clean on this day, or else good fortune will be swept away.

January 23

On this day, a married daughter must bring her husband and children to her parent's home. A gift or gifts should be present. They eat lunch together, and the daughter should return to her husband's home before dinner.

January 24

According to the folktales, this is the day that rats marry. People leave grains or crackers in the corners of their houses to share their harvest with the rats. People believe that if they sleep early, they won't disturb the rats' wedding, and the rats will not disturb them during the year either.

January 25

In Chinese mythology, sheep were created on the 4th day. People pray to the god of wealth and offer three types of meat, wine, and fruits. People will welcome the god at midnight by opening their windows and eating and drinking until daybreak.

January 26

After praying to the god of wealth, markets and stores can open again. The Chinese people eat dumplings to bring in wealth.

January 27

People can begin working again on this day. They will also send the spirit of poverty away by burning scraps and offering banana boat candles. It is believed that the god of bathrooms will visit the sanitary conditions of each house, so people use this day to clean.

Many things happen before, during, and after the Chinese New Year. If you have ever been to China, what preparations did you see? How were people behaving during this time? Let me know in the comments below.