Assalamu Alaikum Ya Nesan!

Happy Chinese New Year! February 16th 2018 marks the beginning of the year 4716 according to the Chinese calendar. The Chinese follow a lunisolar calendar which is somewhat like the Hijiri Calendar, and therefore the Chinese New Year does not have a fixed day in the Gregorian calendar (Western calendar) we commonly use.

If you meet a Chinese person today you can wish him or her by saying “新年快乐  (Xīn nián kuài lè)“ which means “Happy New Year”. You may not understand the reply if you don’t know Chinese, but just smile and nod politely.

The Chinese denote each year with one of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. It is believed that a child born in a particular year will have personal qualities associated with the assigned animal. This year is the “Year of the Dog”. Fun fact, Ibn Serendib is born in the year of the Pig.

Celebrations on this day involve lots and lots of fire crackers, as the Chinese believe the sound chases away the evil. Chinese families will have reunion dinners, so that they can meet and greet one another, and older individuals will give the younger ones money in red envelopes much like the “Peranaal Shalli” given to the little Saraceni on Eid-Ul-Fithr.

Xīn nián kuài lè!