5 ways to celebrate Chinese New Year

1. Family dinner On the eve of Chinese New Year, families come together for a banquet called weilu, ‘surrounding the stove’. This reunion is a time to give thanks and to honour deceased relatives and the gods of the household. Many children travel home to spend New Year’s Eve with their families. Photo: Thinkstock

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The Chinese calendar is based on the lunar cycle and dates back to around 2600BC. Because the 12 months follow the cycle of the moon, which is about 29.5 days, an extra month is added every few years to align with solar movements, just like a leap year. Chinese New Year can fall anywhere from late January to mid-February.

Each year is assigned an animal of the Chinese zodiac, and 2012 is the year of the dragon. It is believed that babies born this year will become powerful and wise, like the mythical fire-breathers.

Find Chinese New Year celebrations in South Africa!