Happy Chinese New Year Everypony!!

You may be wondering what Scoots is doing there. Well that’s cos it’s the year of the Rooster! Chinese New Year is a huge celebration where I come from (Malaysia) and lasts half a month. For more Chinese New Year Trivia and what this holiday is all about, keep reading below ^{^} Gong Xi Fa Cai! May the new year bring good fortune and prosperity to you all!

Chinese New Year signifies the start of a new year according to the Chinese Lunar Calendar, meaning that is starts on the night of the New Moon at the end of January/early February. That’s why the exact date for Chinese New Year varies from year to year.

Chinese New Year is a time for family reunion and celebration. Kind of an out with the old and in with the new year kind of thing, where people welcome good fortune into their lives. That’s why people clean their houses before New Years. To cleanse bad luck leaving space for the good fortune of the new year. And people buy new clothes for new years. Young people receive the famous red envelopes filled with money as gifts of good luck. They can only be given by those who are already married.

Some of the iconic decor and customs stem from an ancient Chinese legend. Every Chinese New Year a terrifying beast called the Nian terrorized a village, wreaking havoc and causing massive damage. One day an old man came and made the villagers realize that the beast was scared of the colour red and loud noises. So when the beast came back, they decorated with red and wore red clothing, throwing fireworks and beating drums and cymbals. The Nian never returned, but the tradition continues to this day.

Each year has an animal related to it, and this is the Chinese Zodiac. There are 12 animals in total and each animal takes its turn until the cycle repeats. This year is the year of the Rooster. The legend stems from the story of the Great Race, when the Jade Emperor (the ruler of heaven in Chinese mythology) decided to have an animal represent each year in the calendar, and that the order of the animals would be decided by the order in which the animals came in a big race.