Chinese and Lunar New Year Handbook

Special Feature

year of ox

Chinese & Lunar
New Year Handbook

From China and Taiwan to Singapore and Malaysia, Asians with strong Chinese roots observe Lunar New Year, from the first day and often up to the full 15 days thereafter. Korea and Vietnam also observe the lunar calendar. Customs vary from place to place, but food and family are always central. Learn about the traditions and cook up your own celebrations with the help of Martin Yan, Susanna Foo, Eileen Yin-Fei Lo, and others.

Lunar New Year Cycle

The Chinese New Year celebration starts with the New Moon on the first day of the new year (the date changes each year) and ends on the full moon 15 days later.

Jan. 23, 2012—Dragon
Feb. 10, 2013—Snake
Jan. 31, 2014—Horse
Feb. 19, 2015—Sheep or Goat
Feb. 08, 2016—Monkey
Jan. 28, 2017—Rooster
Feb. 16, 2018—Year of the Dog
Feb. 05, 2019—Boar or Pig
Jan. 25, 2020—Rat
Feb. 11, 2021—Ox
Feb. 1, 2022—Tiger or Cat
Jan. 22, 2023—Hare or Rabbit

Customs, Recipes, & Cookbooks
for Lunar New Year

In many respects, the Chinese, Vietnamese and Koreans celebrate their New Year more like we celebrate Christmas. For about a month before the old year ends, and for the first two weeks of the new year, Asian families practice specific rituals, customs and celebrations in honor of the New Year, including gift-giving, decorations, worship, travel, parades, reunions and feasts....more @ Lunar New Year Customs, Recipes, & Cookbooks.

Dragon Breathes Fire into Millennium

In 2000, the Year of the Dragon roared open the millennium, and comes around again in 2012.....more @ Dragon Breathes Fire into Millennium.

A Tale of the Ox
with Susanna Foo's Recipes

Susanna Foo, acclaimed author and owner of the award-winning Susanna Foo Chinese Cuisine in Philadelphia, recalls her childhood New Year's memories of Northern China and Taiwan....more @ A Tale of the Ox.

Honoring the Kitchen God:
A New Year Tradition

by Kate Heyhoe

Suppose a benevolent visitor moved into your house, stayed all year, then reported your moral actions to the higher-ups—would you tolerate it? You would if you lived in China, for that visitor would be Kitchen God....more @ Kitchen God.

Fun Facts on Lunar New Year
with New Year Recipes

I first became acquainted with New Year customs through Martin Yan. Most people know Martin as the affable, wok-slinging, cleaver-wielding chef of television's Yan Can Cook series. Martin taught me how different foods—minced vegetables, the cupping of foods in lettuce leaves, and the presentation of oranges and tangerines—are used to suggest wealth and prosperity in the New Year....more @ Fun Facts on Lunar New Year.

Martin Yan Interview

How to Order
in a Chinese Restaurant

"Hunger is the best chef," goes the Chinese proverb. But if you want to have a real Chinese dining experience, rather than just a meal, here are some tips for ordering in a Chinese restaurant....more @ How to Order in a Chinese Restaurant.

Tale of the Trusty Tiger
with Mung Bean Sprout Salad

A woodsman walked through a bamboo grove and lost his footing, only to land in a tiger's lair. He tried to get out but couldn't.....more @ Tale of the Trusty Tiger.

In The Chinese Kitchen
by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo

America's leading authority on Chinese cooking, Eileen Yin-Fei Lo, shares her knowledge of culinary history, recipes, techniques, and ingredients in The Chinese Kitchen. "In Chinese households, the gods eat with us at our table, and food is what we offer as gifts, as sacrifices to them."....more @ Chinese Kitchen.