The Chinese New Year is also known as the Lunar New Year because it begins with the new moon on the first day of the new year. The celebration concludes with a full moon 15 days later and is celebrated with the Lantern Festival with festive and gorgeous Chinese lanterns that light up the night. Since the New Year is based on the solar calendar, the celebrations falls on a different date every year.
Red and gold are popular colors for the Chinese New Year and decorations like Chinese New Years flowers. Flowers represent wealth and fortune and are lucky to give as gifts.
Each year is represented by an animal and each animal has certain characteristics. Animals represented in the Chinese solar calendar include the rat, the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the goat, the monkey, the rooster, the dog, and the pig.
