10 Interesting New Year’s Traditions from Around the World

Jordana Weiss | December 31, 2018

5. China

There are two celebrations of the new year in China. One celebrates the newest year of the Gregorian calendar on January 1, and the other celebrates the start of the Lunar Year, which takes place between January 21 and February 20, depending on the year.

Chinese New Year celebrations are always extremely lavish. There’s a six-day public holiday, and people take advantage of this time off to indulge in elaborate meals with family and friends, and exchange red envelopes which contain gifts of money. Setting off firecrackers has always been popular, but in recent years elaborate fireworks shows have taken place all across the country. At the stroke of midnight on Chinese New Year, it’s estimated that more than a billion fireworks are set off.

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