BEIJING – Chinese people across the globe are celebrating the Lunar New Year 2017 – The Year of the Rooster – which will last until Feb 15, 2018.
The New Year, which officially starts on Saturday, is China’s primary annual holiday and is traditionally marked by riotous displays of fireworks and countless firecrackers.
The new year, also known as the Spring Festival, is marked by the lunisolar Chinese calendar, so the date changes from year to year.
The main annual holiday attracts crowds at home and abroad in celebration marked by fireworks and lamps.
The festivities usually start the day before the New Year and continue until the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the New Year.
According to the Chinese zodiac, people born in the Year of the Rooster are brave, responsible and punctual.
Millions are expected to attend the festival across the world over the next two weeks, in one of the largest celebrations of the event outside of Asia.
The Year of the Rooster
Each Chinese New Year is characterized by one of 12 animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac.
The Chinese zodiac is divided into 12 blocks (or houses) just like its western counterpart, but with the major difference being that each house has a time-length of one year instead of one month.
This year, it’s the Year of the Rooster, the 10th animal in the cycle. The next Year of the Rooster will be in 2029.
Celebrations outside Asia
The main celebrations in London, which are set to be the biggest outside Asia, are on Sunday (Jan 29).
Thousands of people are expected to mark the occasion in London’s Chinatown, where a parade traditionally takes place, according to the Telegraph.
It is expected to start at 10am, travelling along Charing Cross Road and Shaftesbury Avenue in the West End before reaching Chinatown, but exact details are yet to be released.
In previous years, the parade has included an official opening ceremony and entertainment such as acrobatics, traditional dance and music.