Chinese Lunar New Year, The Year of the Monkey 2016
It’s about a 6 weeks into the New Year. Do you already wish you had a do-over for your New Year’s Resolutions?
If so, you’re in luck. You do.
February 8th is the beginning of the celebration of the Chinese lunar New Year. The celebration of the New Year, the Spring Festival, is China’s longest and most important holiday. Because it is based on a different calendar, it falls on a different date between January 21 and February 20 every year. You can think of Spring Festival as Christmas and New Year all rolled into one. Just like our holiday season, it’s a time of celebration, visiting family and friends, giving gifts and preparing for the next year.
Chinese Lunar New Year: Spring Festival
In China, there are many New Year’s traditions during the 15-day Spring Festival. Many people clean their homes to sweep away the past year and usher in the next. Oftentimes family members travel home for a visit. Children receive red envelopes, called hóngbāo in Mandarin, filled with money from their relatives. People hang red lanterns outside their homes to bring happiness and good luck. On Chinese New Year’s Eve families gather for a huge meal and enjoy “lucky” foods together. And, of course, there are fireworks.
The Chinese zodiac has 12 years in its cycle, each one represented by an animal; 2015 is the Year of the Goat. Astrologers say that people born in the Year of the Goat are gentle mild-mannered, shy, stable, sympathetic with a strong sense of kindheartedness.
They are creative, have perseverance and acquire professional skills very well. They are strong on the inside and with a sense of resilience and defensive instincts.
They are often quiet and reserved and prefer to be in groups rather than being the center of attention. They enjoy spending times in their own thoughts.
Recommit to Your New Year’s Resolutions
The Chinese do not traditionally make New Year’s Resolutions like we do in the west, however this is a good time to reflect on the goals you set a month ago. Are you keeping your New Year’s resolutions?
If you’re having trouble, maybe it’s time to take a lesson from the Goats. Take a quiet moment and reflect on what is stopping you. Do you need to get serious? Do you need additional support? Are your goals genuine—do you want to do them or do you think you should do them? Why haven’t you kept your New Year’s Resolutions?
If your resolutions include improving your health in 2015, I can help you with that. Give us a call and we can arrange an appointment for anything from a tune-up to weight control to mood balancing.
If you need to make a deeper commitment to your resolutions, take a moment and think about what you need to do to keep them. Write down 3 easy action steps.
…and do them. Now.
Use the Chinese lunar New Year as a do-over. Commit to your New Year’s resolutions.
Gōng Xǐ Fā Cái. Happy New Year.
