Lunar New Year – First New Moon

How to determine the lunar New Year.

• Calculating the Lunar
  New Year
• Calculating 'When is the
  Chinese New Year'
• Chinese New Year Masks

Calculating the Lunar New Year

What is indisputable is the winter solstice on 21st of December.
This is the shortest day in the northern hemisphere.  Logically,
the lunar New Year is the first new moon after the solstice, for
example:

• Jan 4th 2011
• Dec 24th 2011  (Lunar New Year 2012!)
• Jan 11th 2013
• Jan 1st 2014 (Lunar moon coincides with calendar New Year).

However, the Chinese take a different view, for them the lunar New Year
is the second new moon after the winter solstice.

Calculating 'When is the Chinese New Year'

The fact that the date of Chinese New Year varies within about a month
is a clue that it's linked to the new moon.  A rough, and almost
infallible guide is that the date of the Chinese New Year falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice.  The winter solstice always falls
on December 21st, the next new moon is January 4th, and the second new moon
is on February 3rd 2011.

Will and Guy admit that the precise rules for determining 'When is the
Chinese New Year', are far more complex.  For example, one problem
with any lunar calendar system is that some years there are 13 new moons.  The Chinese deal with this be slotting in an extra
intercalary month.

The Chinese Calendar 2014

Unlike western calendars, the Chinese calendar has names
that are repeated every 60 years.  Within the 'Stem-Branch' system is shorter cycle of 12 years denoted by animals:

2014 is the year of the Horse.  It is the

jiw(甲午) year (Wooden Horse).
Ji is the first of the ten celestial stems and w (Horse) is
the seventh of the twelve terrestrial branches and thus 1/7 marks
the year of the Horse.

Rat    Ox   
Tiger Rabbit  Dragon Snake Horse Sheep Monkey Rooster Dog  Pig

2008
2009  2010
 2011
2012
2013   2014  2015   2016
2017   2018 2007

Calculating 'When is the Chinese New Year in 2014'

The fact that the date of Chinese New Year varies within about a month
is a clue that it's linked to the new moon.  A rough, and almost
infallible guide is that the Chinese New Year follows the second new moon after the winter solstice.  The
winter solstice falls on December 21st, the next new moon is on January 1st 2014, and the second new moon
is on January 30th 2014.

Will and Guy admit that the precise rules for determining 'When is the
Chinese New Year', are far more complex.  For example, one problem
with any lunar calendar system is that some years there are 13 new moons.  The Chinese deal with this by slotting in an extra
intercalary month.

The Chinese Calendar 2015

2015 is the year of the Sheep, but is also know as the
year of the Goat, or even the Ram.
It is the yĭ-wèi (乙未) year of the Wooden
Sheep. Yĭ is the second of the ten celestial stems and wèi (Sheep) is
the eighth of the twelve terrestrial branches.

Unlike western calendars, the Chinese calendar has names
that are repeated every 60 years.  Within the 'Stem-Branch' system is shorter cycle of 12 years denoted by animals:

Rat    Ox   
Tiger Rabbit  Dragon Snake Horse  Sheep Monkey Rooster Dog  Pig

2008
2009  2010
 2011
2012
2013
2014  2015   2016
2017   2018 2007

Calculating 'When is the Chinese New Year in 2015'

The fact that the date of Chinese New Year varies within about a month
is a clue that it's linked to the new moon.  A rough, and almost
infallible guide is that the Chinese New Year follows the second new moon after the winter solstice.  The
winter solstice always falls on December 21st,
the next new moon is on January 20th 2015, and the second new moon is on
February 18th 2015.

Please note that there is a new moon on December 21st, but this does not
count for calculation purposes.  However, this does mean that
February 19th is about the latest day in the year for the Chinese New Year.  As the new year ends on February 7th 2016
this late begining it makes 2015
slightly shorter than most Chinese 'years'.

For The Chinese New Year - The Colour Red and Fireworks

At the Chinese New Year red is important. People wear red clothes, they write poems on red paper, and give children 'luck money' in red envelopes.  The symbolism behind the red colour is fire,
and fire burns off bad luck.  As for fireworks one belief is that the cracker jacks and sparks frighten away evil spirits.

After the fireworks at the beginning of the celebration of the Chinese
new year, comes the more tranquil Lantern Festival on the last day of the festivities.  Most Lantern parades feature a dragon made of silk and bamboo.  The dancers hold the monstrous
dragon aloft on sticks.  Their coordination skills make the dragon appear to dance.

Chinese Phrases

搞笑清洁笑话 in Chinese translates into clean funny jokes.

干净免费笑话,故事图片、视频剪辑 means clean free jokes, stories pictures and video-clips

Footnote:
Please write to Will and Guy if you have any interesting
articles on calculating the lunar New Year.