Today is the first day of the Chinese New Year! The Chinese New Year, or Lunar New Year, begins with the first new moon of the year and ends with the full moon 15 days later. It is the most important holiday in China and millions of people travel home to be with their families.

The Chinese New Year is full of dragon dances, fireworks, feasts, gift-giving, and lantern festivals. Red is the traditional color of the holiday because it symbolizes luck and prosperity. Many families will paint their doors a bright scarlet to bring good fortune in the year to come.  

According to tradition, each year of the Chinese calendar is associated with one of the twelve zodiac signs: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, or pig.

Adorn your home with glowing paper lanterns, do a little house cleaning to sweep away any bad luck, and send warm wishes to your family and friends with a free Chinese New Year eCard! Happy Chinese New Year!