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Chinese New Year in 2025: All You Need to Know
There are a lot of things to look forward to in 2025. We’ll bet you’d want to create a 2025 bucket list, keep your new year resolutions, look for new music, shows, and movies to stream, or perhaps feel encouraged by this proverbial clean slate to practice better money management.
As the holidays draw to a close, what’s next? The Chinese Lunar New Year, of course! As one of the first Philippine holidays, Chinese New Year is a time for fantastic dragon dances, jaw-dropping fireworks and a feast with family and friends. More importantly, however, this event ushers in prosperity: an invitation for everyone to join hands with the country’s Chinese community.
But when exactly is the Chinese New Year? Why is it important? How should we celebrate the occasion? Ahead, the answers to these questions along with everything else you need to know.
What’s the Chinese New Year and Why is It Being Celebrated?
Also known as the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, the Chinese New Year is arguably the most important holiday in China. This is a week-long event that marks the end of winter and the beginning of the Lunar Calendar. Celebrating the occasion represents the desire for a new life, so families get together to feast and honor their households.
Each year, the Chinese Calendar celebrates a particular animal in the Chinese Zodiac (the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig). The Chinese Zodiac bears great significance in the country’s folklore, representing different personality traits, too. Up to this day, many still rely on the Zodiac for personal guidance.
When is the 2025 Chinese New Year?
The Chinese New Year always falls on the second full moon of the winter solstice. For 2025, it happens on January 29, Wednesday, marking the start of the Wood Snake year.
According to the Zodiac, people born in the year of the Wood Snake are believed to be exceptional strategic and analytical thinkers. They have strong communication abilities that are especially useful in resolving conflicts.
People born in the year of the Wood Snake are encouraged to take advantage of the year 2025 to strengthen bonds with loved ones and resolve past conflicts with family. However, they're advised to take note of their weaknesses, such as excessive caution that delays decision-making, perfectionist attitude, and difficulty in trusting others.
How to Celebrate Chinese New Year at Home?
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Create DIY New Year decorations with your family.
Got some free time on your hands? Give your home a makeover for the occasion. If Christmas trees and Santa figures are to Christmas, hanging up Chinese lanterns and similar ornaments are to your Chinese New Year celebration. It’s your chance to make it memorable. When hanging up decorations, always remember to keep things red, the season’s main color that’s known to bring good luck.
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Prepare and enjoy a homemade feast (but ordering in should be okay, too).
Family gatherings are best enjoyed with delicious food, which is pretty much a no-brainer. Now that you know the exact date of the holiday this year, you can start planning your menu days in advance. Treating your loved ones to something homemade if you’re up for personalizing the experience.
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Experiment with different tikoy recipes together.
What’s Chinese New Year without sticky tikoy anyway? That said, instead of slicing your “New Year cake” to create thin pieces and frying them like usual, why not switch things up? Explore different variations like the ones ahead. These are just some easy-to-follow recipes for you to consider.
- Tikoy Turon: Slice thin strips of tikoy, banana, and jackfruit. Wrap the three ingredients together with a turon sheet. Fry until golden brown.
- Tikoy à la Mode: Fry tikoy in the traditional manner. Add a scoop of your favorite ice cream upon plating. You can finish this off with your favorite dessert toppings, too, to make things sweeter.
Steamed Tikoy with Coconut:
Trying to avoid fried foods? No problem. Simply steam tikoy and serve this with shredded coconut for a healthier alternative.