The Chinese New Year (also known as Lunar New Year and Spring Festival) always starts sometime between January 21st and February 20th based on the phases of the moon. This year，Chinese New Year is early, on January 22nd.

中国新年/农历年/春节以月亮周期变化为基础，时间总在公历的一月21日至2月20日之间。今年春节时间早，就在一月22日。

Almost all of the fun facts about Chinese New Year center around luck, superstition, the color red, and of course, food!

关于中国新年的趣闻几乎都围绕着好运、迷信、红色，当然，更少不了食物。

Chinese New Year

中国新年

1、What’s in a name? 关于名字
Chinese New Year also goes by a few other names. One is Lunar New Year, mainly called this in Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia, because they celebrate this festival as well.
中国新年还有另外几个名字，其中一个是农历新年，这主要是在韩国、越南、菲律宾和马来西亚的叫法，因为这些国家也过这个节。
It’s also known as Spring Festival. This name represents the end of the coldest days and the hope that spring is just around the corner.
另外一个名字是春节， 象征着寒冬收尾和春天将至的希望。

2、 Year of the rabbit 兔年
The rabbit is considered quick-witted, fortunate and loving，so the year of the rabbit offer the world a year of peace and success and will bring strengthened bonds with loved ones and expanded relationships with family and friends. People born under the rabbit sign are witty, tenacious, and quick-minded.
兔子被认为机灵、幸运、有爱心，所以，兔年将为世界带来和平与成功，将为相爱的人们带来更稳固的情感，为家人和朋友带来更密切的联系。出生于兔年的人，机智、顽强又聪敏。

3、 A long-time partying. 一段长期聚会
Chinese New Year lasts 16 days. The festivities begin on Chinese New Year’s Eve and finish at the Lantern Festival.It’s the longest holiday on the Chinese Lunar calendar.
中国新年持续16天的时间，从除夕开始，到元宵节结束。这是中国农历中时间最长的节日。

4、 Family reunion 家人团聚
One of the best Chinese New Year traditions is the reunion dinner. This gathering is all about reuniting with family and sharing your mutual love and respect for one another, while feasting on delicious food.
中国新年最好的传统之一就是团圆饭。这个团圆活动的意义就在于，在共享美味大餐的同时，家人重聚，分享彼此的亲爱与尊重。

5、 Dance of the dragon 舞龙
The dragon is one of the most powerful Chinese symbols for good luck, power, wisdom and dignity. It should come as no surprise that dragon dances are often performed during the Chinese New Year.
Dragon puppets can range in size from 2 meters (10 ft) to a spectacular 70 meters (230 ft)!
龙是中国最有权力的标志之一，代表着好运、权力、智慧和尊严。所以，中国新年期间经常出现舞龙表演就不足为怪了。用来表演的龙，大小从2米（10英尺）到70米（230英尺）都有！

6、Paint the world red 红色的世界
As you probably know, the luckiest color in Chinese culture is red. During Chinese New Year you’ll see the color everywhere.
Decorations range from the extravagant paper lanterns to the hopeful poetic messages known as couplets hanging outside people’s front doors. And of course, the red envelopes.
你很可能知道，中国文化中最幸运的颜色就是红色。所以，在中国新年期间红色到处可见。红色的装饰，从精美的红灯笼，到人们贴在门口、承载着希望与诗意信息的春联，当然，还有红包。

7、The joy of the red envelope 红包之乐
Children love Chinese New Year and it’s more than the lantern riddles, lion dancing and delicious rice cakes… it’s about the money! Chinese New Year tradition involves gifting children red envelopes with cash to wish them good luck and ensure they have a prosperous future.
小朋友们热爱中国新年，因为它不仅有猜灯谜、舞狮子和美味的米饼……还有钱！中国新年的传统包括用现金给孩子们发红包作为礼物，祝福他们好运，未来繁荣兴旺。

8、 The delicious food 美食
The most famous and popular food for Chinese New Year is nothing but dumplings. Do you know that there’s a Chinese superstition that the more dumplings you can eat, the more money you’ll make in the new year?
最著名的春节美食自然非饺子莫属。你知道吗，中国有个迷信说法，你吃的饺子越多，在新的一年里挣的钱就越多？
And there are some of the other most common foods to eat during Chinese New Year. Fish, due to the word in Chinese sounding similar to “surplus”. Tangerines for good luck and fortune. And sweet rice balls that represent reunion and being together.
另外，在中国新年期间还有一些别的常见食物：鱼，取其汉字谐音“（有）余”（寓意“富余”）。橘子，寓意“吉利和好运”。用粘糯米做成的甜汤圆代表着团聚和相守。

9、Scaring away an evil monster 吓跑年兽
In Chinese mythology, a lion-like spirit named Nian would arrive on the New Year and destroy entire villages. To scare Nian away, the villagers set dry bamboo on fire so that it popped and crackled. Now the Chinese New Year celebrations aren’t complete without the explosions of firecrackers and fireworks!
在中国神话中，一个狮子模样、名字叫“年”的妖怪，会在新年时到来并毁掉整个村子。为了把年兽吓跑，村民们就用干竹子烧火，发出爆裂的噼啪声。现在，如果不燃放烟花爆竹，新年庆祝活动就不完整。

10、Chinese New Year around the world 世界各地的中国新年
Outside of China, there are over 60 million people of Chinese descent living in every corner of the globe. Some of the largest Chinese New Year celebrations outside of China are in cities with huge Chinese populations like, New York and San Francisco, USA, Vancouver, Canada and Sydney, Australia.
在中国之外，还有超过六千万华裔子孙生活在世界的每一个角落。所以，在中国领土之外的大规模庆新年活动，是在大量华裔人口聚居的城市，如美国的纽约和旧金山、加拿大的温哥华和澳大利亚的悉尼。