Year of the Dragon

gōng hè xīn xǐ, wàn shì rú yì 恭 贺 新 禧，万 事 如 意。 Happy New Year, wish you best of everything. For Chinese people and Chinese communities around the world, the Chinese New Year is arguably the greatest and most significant annual festival. The Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year begins on Saturday, February 10th. This year, 2024, is represented by the dragon. As is customary the festival surrounding the Chinese New Year lasts 15 days, although it can occasionally last up to 17 days in total. The holiday dates back centuries and coincides with the end of China's agricultural season, allowing farmers a break from field work and time to spend with their families. The Lunar New Year aligns with the start of a new moon. The practice of marking the Lunar New Year began centuries ago and is linked to an ancient Xia calendar which observed a new year on the second new moon following the winter solstice. Lunisolar Calendar. The traditional Chinese calendar is a Lunisolar Calendar based on astronomical observations of the Sun’s position in the sky and the Moon’s phases. This ancient calendar dates back to the 14th century BCE (whereas the Gregorian calendar was introduced in 1582). The Chinese lunisolar calendar shares some similarities with the Hebrew calendar, which is also lunisolar, and it has influenced other East Asian calendars, such as those of Korea and Vietnam. For thousands of years, China observed the Lunar New Year as the beginning of a new year until the government officially switched to the Gregorian calendar in 1912, which commemorates the day on January 1st. The traditional Chinese lunisolar year has 12 months and 353 to 355 days (or during a leap year, 13 months and 383 to 385 days). Therefore, the Chinese year usually begins several weeks into the Western 365-day year (usually between January 21 and February 20), not on January 1 of the Gregorian calendar. Even though the New Year technically begins on the first day of January, observing the Lunar New Year continues to be integral in Asian culture and has gradually evolved into a seasonal celebration commonly known as "Spring Festival." Although this holiday is commonly called “Chinese New Year” in the West, China is not the only country to observe it. Many other countries in East Asia, including Vietnam, Korea, Japan, and the Philippines, hold their own New Year celebrations at this time. (Occasionally, the date celebrated may differ by one day or even one moon cycle due to time zones and other factors.) Making and eating dumplings is also customary during the Lunar New Year. Symbolic of wealth, dumplings represent good fortune and are believed to ensure luck and prosperity in the year to come. The Settlement of the Chinese in Jamaica. Throughout the first half of the 19th century, many Chinese labourers, predominately men migrated to the west coast of the United States of America in search of employment in agriculture, mining, railroad construction and other low skilled jobs. Additionally, some Chinese migrants went south to Panama to work on the Panama Railroads. In Jamaica, the Chinese came in 3 major waves; 1854-1884, 1900-1940 and the 1980s. The first wave was the smallest in numbers and consisted of workers imported for plantation work. The second wave was much larger and consisted primarily of the immigration of businessmen. In 1854, two groups of Chinese arrived in Jamaica in 1854. The first, a group of 224, travelled from Hong Kong on a ship called the "Epsom" and arrived in Jamaica on July 30. The second was a group of 197, part of a contingent of 1,042 who had travelled to Panama to work on the Panama Railroad. However, given the fear of catching yellow fever, they were sent by the Panamanian authorities to Jamaica in exchange for Jamaican laborers. They arrived on a ship called the "Vampire" on November, 1854. A decade later in 1864, another group of 200 Chinese arrived from British Guiana, Trinidad and Panama. The third wave of Chinese migrants arrived in 1884. Of course of the years Chinese have continued to migrate to Jamaica as well as to other islands in the Caribbean. Qualities of the Dragon. Those born in the Year of the Dragon are believed to be ambitious, energetic, and charismatic, often inspiring others with their passion and enthusiasm. They are considered to be natural leaders, confident and unafraid to take risks, making them magnetic personalities in social and professional circles. An important aspect of Chinese culture is the zodiac, which is based on a 12-year cycle. According to Chinese culture the zodiac is said to have originated from a Chinese Poem about 12 animals that came from the heavens to help farmers with their crops, each year is represented by a specific animal. People born in the year of those animals are said to embody specific personality traits, not unlike traditional astrology. The 12 Chinese zodiac animals are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. The dragon represents vigor, strength and good fortune, among other powerful attributes. As is ancient tradition, the Chinese zodiac attaches animal signs to each lunar year in a cycle of 12 years. The animal designation changes at the start of the New Year. In honour of the Chinese New Year as well as Asian culture, many cities and countries worldwide will host jubilant celebrations that will include festivals, parades and fireworks. May the year of the Dragon bring you and your family good health, happiness and prosperity. Gong Xi Fa Cai! Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo © #ChineseNewYear #LunarNewYear #AsianCulture