The 2018 Chinese New Year Day is on Friday, February 16, 2018 in China's time zone. This day is the new moon day of the first Chinese lunar month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar system. The exact new moon time is at 05:06 on 16-Feb-18 in China's time zone.
Chinese calendar combines solar, lunar and 60 Stem-Branch counting systems. The 60 Stem-Branch calendar uses the names of Yin Yang Five Elements (Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth) and 12 animals to rank the sequences. Five ...elements are connected to five colors - White, Black, Green, Red, and Brown. So Chinese use the color animal name to count the year. The name of 2018 is the Yang Male Earth Dog. Brown is connected to Earth. Therefore, 2018 is also called Brown Earth Dog Year.
What Do People Do?
Many people clean their homes to welcome the Spring Festival. They put up the red posters with poetic verses on it to their doors, Chinese New Year pictures on their walls, and decorate their homes with red lanterns. It is also a time to reunite with relatives so many people visit their families at this time of the year.
In the evening of the Spring Festival Eve, many people set off fireworks and firecrackers, hoping to cast away any bad luck and bring forth good luck. Children often receive “luck” money. Many people wear new clothes and send Chinese New Year greetings to each other. Various activities such as beating drums and striking gongs, as well as dragon and lion dances, are all part of the Spring Festival festivities.
