Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) is the most important festival in China and in many other East Asian countries. Chinese people celebrate it with their families by sharing a meal, drinking, and fireworks shows. In 2014 the Chinese New Year was on the 31st of January. It marked the beginning of the Year of the Horse. It’s important to know the dates of holidays if you plan to go to China, as it is not the best time for doing business in China and other Asian countries. Find out more about the special festival in China.
Chinese New Year 2014, Year of the Horse
Chinese traditional calendar is based on lunar cycles. Every year is represented by one zodiac animal, 2013 was the Year of the Snake, and 2014 belongs to the Horse. The element associated with the Horse is Wood, and according to Chinese tradition, the Year of the Wood Horse will bring the fulfillment of plans and big opportunities for travels and unexpected adventures.
Chinese zodiac repeats every 12 years. The years of the Horse are 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026.
A rather down-to-earth aspect of the New Year should also be noted. In China, the Spring Festival is public holidays which means days off for office workers, closed factories, and so on. Millions of people go back to their homes to visit their loved ones. Therefore, it is not the best time for visiting China, may it be business or tourism. It will certainly be better to let the Chinese have fun and come to their country later. If you do come to China for the Spring Festival, get ready for overcrowded railway stations, sold-out tickets for public transport and off-reach business partners.
Check the dates of public holidays in China in 2014.