Chinese New Year

As the Year of the Dragon dawns, the Chinese New Year ushers in a flurry of traditions, celebrations, and, of course, superstitions. In 2024, the Wood Dragon takes center stage, promising a year filled with opportunities and challenges. But what can we expect from this auspicious time, and how can we navigate its taboos to ensure good fortune?

More and more Chinese are seeking to travel further in search of adventure, according to a report by the British company OAG. Its traffic analysis shows that the number of Chinese tourists in February during the one-week Chinese New Year holiday has increased by more than 20% annually in 15 countries.

t's almost time to welcome the Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival of the Lunar New Year on Tuesday (February 5).

Compared to new year celebrations in the west, Chinese New Year is a 15-day celebration with many preparations and traditions!

Following is a break-down of all the characteristics that the Chinese New Year celebration entails:

The countdown has begun. As the Chinese New Year approaches, the festive excitement is in the air for at least one fifth of the world’s population, or even more.

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center celebrates Chinese New Year this weekend with workshops on how to make paper dragons and paper lanterns and two film screenings. In the first workshop, which starts at 5 p.m. on Saturday, January 28, children aged 4-8 will construct a traditional Chinese paper dragon.

The Chinese community of Thessaloniki organized the celebrations for the Chinese New Year on Saturday for the first time in Thessaloniki.

The streets of Sapphous and Aisopou were filled with small flags of China and Greece and were decorated with traditional red color ornaments, as well as yellow dragons.

Thessaloniki will celebrate on Saturday 13 the Chinese New Year at the city’s so-called Chinatown at Aisopou street.

From 10.00am to 14.00pm the Chinese shopkeepers will welcome the Year of the Monkey with traditional celebrations.

Today is the start of the Chinese New Year, which happens to be a Monkey year. According to the 12-year cycle of animals in the Chinese zodiac, the Year of the Monkey occupies the ninth place, this one being the year of the Red Fire Monkey. The cycle not only depends on animals, but also on the five elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water.

It is all about a shift of dates. The idea came upon Charles IX, the King of France, to announce the start of the New Year on Jan. 1 in an attempt to unite all New Year's celebrations on a single day.

The Chinese Lantern Festival, which fell on March 5 this year, marks the end of the Chinese New Year festivities and is celebrated on the first full moon of the lunar year. Lanterns adorn the sky during the night, creating a magical atmosphere adding to the romance of the full moon.