The traditional Chinese calendar is based on the cycles of the moon, meaning that Chinese New Year happens after January 1st. Two New Years are better than one! The Lunar New Year is celebrated all around Asia. And here's a fun fact: It creates the largest human migration on earth! Since there are about 1.5 billion people in China, and a lot of them work in cities far away from their families, the New Year is the one time of year when many people go home. The trains and buses are busy, and there are lots of happy reunions.
Lunar New Year is a time for family, feasting and fun! People often cook special family recipes, such as dumplings, steamed fish, noodles or rice cakes, and eat sweets like mooncakes and oranges. They perform dragon dances, make music and light fireworks. During this two week period, children also receive red envelopes of money called hong bao.
