Every year between January 21st and February 20th, the Chinese celebrate the beginning of a Lunar New Year with a festivity called the Spring Festival. The celebration that marks the beginning of spring, starts on the first new moon every year and lasts for 15 days, ending with a Lantern Festival. As we approach the Chinese New Year of 2022 let’s take a look at some of the traditions, iconography, and decorations that have both festive and symbolic role.
Lunar New Year Symbols
Red symbolizes joy, virtue, and sincerity which is why it is often the predominant color in many Chinese celebrations including the New Year one. In the spring festival, you will see many items painted in red from fireworks to garments and decorative objects. In Chinese mythology, it is believed that the color red scares away the beast Nian, which has terrorized villages in ancient China until the locals realized that the monster is afraid of that color.
