Spice Yourself Up in Ox's Chinese New Year in Cool Chinese Destinations!!

Another year is in the bag, and the Chinese New Year is quickly approaching. The world’s largest annual family reunion, Chinese New Year is the most important date on the Chinese calendar.

Let's talk a little bit about Chinese New Year history, the Chinese calendar is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. The lunar cycle is about 29.5 days. In order to "catch up" with the solar calendar the Chinese insert an extra month once every few years (seven years out of a 19-year cycle).

This is the same as adding an extra day on leap year. This is why, according to the solar calendar, the Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year.

New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving. The celebration was traditionally highlighted with a religious ceremony given in honor of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the household and the family ancestors.

Prior to New Year's Day, Chinese families decorate their living rooms with vases of pretty blossoms, platters of oranges and tangerines and a candy tray with eight varieties of dried sweet fruit. On walls and doors are poetic couplets, happy wishes written on red paper. These messages sound better than the typical fortune cookie messages. For instance, "May you enjoy continuous good health" and "May the Star of Happiness, the Star of Wealth and the Star of Longevity shine on you" are especially positive couplets.

Chinese families from around the globe migrate home to celebrate and exchange gifts with friends and loved ones. This year the parties start early, as the Year of the Ox begins on January 26th and includes 15 days of the most food, fun and firecrackers this side of…er, China .

It’s a fantastic time to visit Chinese destinations and revel in the festivities. The period is marked by parades, dragon and lion dances, lanterns, fireworks and food, food, food! Hong Kong, Macau, Beijing, Shanghai and even Singapore are some of the best places to really enjoy the celebrations.

It is the single biggest 15-day party in the world, and the best time of year to enjoy China’s famed sights and sounds.

Discover Hong Kong in this Ox's Chinese New Year to spice your life up a little bit, will ya!!