Written by Aqil Nasri
Chinese New Year is inching ever closer, so what better way to better prepare for the upcoming celebration then by arming yourself with some knowledge that may be questioned to you by nosy aunts or uncles (It’s annoying I know).
Here are 5 facts and myths that some of you may or may not know!
1) It Is Also Known As The Spring Festival
Besides being called Chinese New Year, most people in China call it as Chunjie, which also means the Spring Festival. People welcome spring and also all the harvests that come along with it. It is also a signification of new beginnings and a fresh new start for most people.
Usually, the start of spring happened between the 4th to 18th of February, but this number usually changes depending on the year, as the Lunar Calendar can range from January 21st to February 20th.
2) It Is Celebrated By Almost 1/5 of The World’s Population
Okay let’s do the math. There are about 7.7 billion people on Earth right now. So, when 7.7 billion is divided by 5, you’ll get approximately 1.50 billion people. That’s 1.50 billion people out of 7.7 billion celebrating Chinese New Year on a yearly basis! That number alone is super huge, making the yearly Chinese New Year celebrations one of the biggest and most celebrated festivals ever.
3) The Annual Chinese New Year Festival Causes The World’s Largest Annual Migration
Chinese New Year is also known as the time for family reunions and gatherings. So, typically, almost everyone that’s celebrating the festival will tend to follow through with the act of going back to their family homes, especially the ones who are living away from their family and relatives.
As such, every time Chinese New Year comes by, the roads and trains will be fully packed with people trying their best to go back in time. In China especially, this type of migration is known as the Spring migration or Chunyun. Also, the earliest train tickets that you can buy in China is 60 days before, so this literally leads to a mad dash of who can click the fastest.
4) Some Hire Fake Boyfriends / Girlfriends To Take Home To Meet Their Parents
For some people, the pressure to settle down and get married can be tremendous, especially for the ones who have that one nosy aunty, or a mom who keeps on pestering you about when you’re going to get married.
That’s why some have resorted to desperate actions by hiring fake boyfriends / girlfriends in hopes of appeasing their relatives and avoiding those annoying questions again. There are even some websites that actually provide the service of renting out a boyfriend / girlfriend, with the prices averaging at about RM66 per day.
5) The Celebration Also Plays Host To The Largest Annual Fireworks Usage In The World
In the single hour around midnight beginning of Chinese New Year, no other country anywhere else sees this much of fireworks lighted, as the country produces close to 90% of the world’s fireworks. The story behind the mass litting of fireworks stems from the lore of scaring evil spirits away, as the flashes and bangs of the firecrackers supposedly frightens the demons and evil ghosts.
Now though, setting off fireworks has largely been curbed due to pollution concerns, but you’ll find the occasional firecrackers popping off in the morning every now and then.
