As all of you know, it is the year 2011, a new year. On December 31st, the western world celebrated new years eve and on January 1st came a brand new year, filled with resolutions, new hopes and ambitions. But over in the eastern hemisphere the new year is yet to come. Chun Jie, or Spring Festival, is the Chinese new year, beginning on February 3rd. It is the most important Chinese holiday and is celebrated the entire first half of the month, from the 1st to the 15th ending with the Lantern Festival. Chinese New Year's Eve (Feb. 2nd) is a day where families gather and have a large feast and end the night with firecrackers. Both the eve and new years day is a time of reunion and thanksgiving. Most families will thoroughly clean their house to sweep away any ill-fortune in hopes to make way for good incoming luck. Red couplets and lanterns are hung on door frames and around the house. Traditionally red envelopes with money inside are passed out during the celebrations.
This year is the year of the Rabbit. The rabbit is the 4th animal in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac. People born in these years are rabbits: 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999. I am very excited as this is my year! Chinese new year is also the most traveled time of the year. People travel back to their hometowns to spend time with family, making traveling during this time insane. I decided to get out of China for Chinese New Year, as I don't have a family here to celebrate with, I am taking a short vacation to the Philippines with some friends.
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