The Chinese Spring Festival, or New Year celebrations, mark the beginning of the Chinese New Year and begin on the 23rd day of the 12th Chinese lunar month on average. The date this year is January 22. The celebration typically concludes on the 15th day of the first lunar month, with shops and other businesses opening on the fifth day. The Spring Festival celebrations in China and Mauritius share similarities. As in China, the holiday is preceded by the custom of warding off misfortune. The remainder of the day is spent preparing an abundance of traditional Chinese dishes.
HISTORY OF CHINESE SPRING FESTIVAL
Following the traditional Chinese lunar calendar, the Chinese community in Mauritius typically celebrates the Chinese Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year. On the Gregorian calendar, which is widely used today, the exact date of the festival is typically in January or February.
The modern Chinese Spring Festival is believed to be a continuation of an ancient Chinese autumn tradition. Before the new year celebration began, the ancient Chinese would gather to celebrate the harvest’s conclusion. During this time, people cleaned millet-stack sites, toasted guests with traditional Chinese red wine or mijiu, slaughtered lambs, and visited the homes of their masters to toast them and celebrate the prospect of a long life together.
On the eve of modern Chinese New Year celebrations, as in the past, families would gather for a reunion dinner featuring dishes with specific and idiomatic meanings.
When the new year arrived, people would typically set off fireworks in front of their homes to ward off misfortune. Even though the Chinese community in Mauritius is relatively small, the Spring Festival is a national public holiday, making it the only country outside of Asia to celebrate Chinese New Year with a national public holiday.
The primary celebration of the new year takes place in the Chinatown neighbourhood of Port Louis, with colourful parades of traditional New Year’s celebration costumes, such as the dancing dragon, accompanied by lively dance performances and fireworks.
SPRING FESTIVAL ACTIVITIES IN CHINA
Observe rituals of the Spring Festival
The Chinese Spring Festival is characterised and preceded by the ancient rituals of setting off firecrackers in front of storefronts and conducting a thorough house cleaning to remove any traces of bad luck. Celebrate the holiday with these traditional Chinese New Year’s Eve practises. You can even paint portions of your home in the colour code of the holiday, red, which represents joy.
Serve Chinese cuisine.
New Year’s meals include symbolic foods such as fish for prosperity, dumplings for good fortune, spring rolls for wealth, and noodles for longevity. Try something new, such as rice cakes or dumplings with tasty fillings, by searching online for recipes.
Commune via social media
If you are unable to travel to China for the Chinese Spring Festival, showing support and celebrating on social media may be the best way to observe it. Observe the C.C.T.V broadcast of the New Year’s Gala, which is annually viewed by billions of people of Chinese descent. Share your thoughts about the event on social media and join the holiday’s global conversation.
Dance of the Seven Veils Day 2023: Date, History, Music, Celebration
Korean New Year 2023: Date, History and Celebration in Korea
5 FACTS ABOUT THE CHINESE SPRING FESTIVAL YOU DIDN’T KNOW
Mauritius is the only non-Asian nation to observe the Chinese New Year with a public holiday, despite the fact that the Chinese community makes up less than 3% of the population.
Over 400 million people from all over China return to their rural homes during the Spring Festival, making it the largest human migration in history.
Each year, the Chinese Spring Festival is symbolised by one of the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac.
The Spring Festival in China lasts approximately 23 days, concluding on the 15th day of the first lunar month according to the Chinese calendar.
Typically, iconic landmarks such as the Tokyo Tower and the London Eye will turn red to mark the beginning of the Chinese New Year celebration.
CHINESE SPRING FESTIVAL DATES
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | February 1 | Tuesday |
| 2023 | January 22 | Sunday |
| 2024 | February 10 | Saturday |
| 2025 | January 29 | Wednesday |
| 2026 | February 17 | Tuesday |
