At a time when China has been reeling under the COVID-19 pandemic, the country is all set to celebrate its New Year. Multiple cities are braced up to celebrate China New Year 2023 and a giant rabbit lantern has made a massive stir on social media. A giant rabbit lantern was torn down in southwest China after the Chinese social media users complained that it was too ugly. The lantern was placed at Sanxia Square in Chongqing, a city of 30 million, to celebrate upcoming China's Lunar New Year 2023. For the unversed, the Chinese New Year is one of the most important holidays in China and is celebrated with great pomp and joy by Chinese people across the world. The day is marked based on the lunar calendar and hence the date for the Chinese New Year is not fixed. It usually falls between January 21 and February 20. This time, the date is January 22, 2023.
Now, coming back to the giant rabbit lantern, the Chinese people called it ugly. One of the users wrote, "The rabbit has thick eyebrows and looks like a man with a serious expression. Is this a festive rabbit?" Another WeChat user reportedly wrote: "It looks like a rabbit goblin." In the Chinese zodiac, 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit. "Internet users say that the rabbit lantern at the square is too embarrassing. After the complaint, we got someone to demolish it," the Sangxia Square Commercial District Management Committee was quoted by Hongxin News, BBC reported.
After the design of the China Post zodiac rabbit stamp caused controversy on social media, there's a second rabbit roast. This time, it concerns a huge rabbit lantern that appeared at Sanxia Square in Chongqing. pic.twitter.com/JGWd6mPP9z
— Manya Koetse (@manyapan) January 19, 2023
Chinese New Year 2023
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The Lantern Festival marks the end of Chinese New Year celebrations. People hang red colour lanterns on streets, outside houses, and in public places. The way 12 zodiac signs are associated with different months of the Gregorian calendar, each Chinese New Year also has a zodiac sign. For instance, 2022 Chinese New Year was the Year of the Tiger, 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit, 2024 will be the Year of the Dragon and the Chinese New Year 2025 will be the Year of the Snake.
The Chinese people ring in the New Year by setting off fireworks on New Year's Eve. As per Chinese belief, a monster named Nian would show up on Lunar New Year's Eve and eat people and livestock. To keep it away, people used fireworks and hence it became a tradition that is still being followed. Chinese New Year celebrations usually last for 16 days. The celebrations kick off on New Year's Eve and culminate on the Lantern Festival, which falls on February 5 this year.
As per tradition, people celebrating the Chinese New Year don't throw garbage for the first five days of the New Year. It is believed that the trash collected these days symbolises wealth and one shouldn't toss it in the trash. The sixth day is dedicated to cleaning. It is time to get rid of the garbage and sweep away the bad luck.
Chinese New Year traditions also involve gifting money in red envelopes to younger members of the family.