Gung Hei Fat Choi

Thank you to the International Students who provided pot stickers and prizes to the Saint community today in celebration of Chinese New Year.

The new year, also known as the Spring Festival, is marked by the lunisolar Chinese calendar, so the date changes from year to year. The festivities usually start the day before the New Year and continue until the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the new year.

The Chinese symbol for monkeyThe Chinese symbol for monkey

Each Chinese New Year is characterized by one of 12 animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac which is divided into 12 blocks, just like its western counterpart, but with the major difference being that each house has a time-length of one year instead of one month. This year it’s the Year of the Monkey, the ninth animal in the cycle. The next Year of the Monkey will be in 2028. People born in the Year of the Monkey are characterized as lively, quick-witted, curious, innovative and mischievous, but it is also believed to be one of the most unlucky years in the Chinese calendar.