No longer a holiday only celebrated in the Asian region of the world, through diaspora and cultural appropriation / celebration, Chinese New Year – or Lunar New Year in some places as it is otherwise known – has taken on cultural significance around the globe. Whilst some of us might remember early forays into horoscopes, deciding what you should do that day or how to pursue a crush based on what tabloid magazine columnists were writing for Leos and Libras alike, the Chinese zodiac is currently all the rage. 

The Chinese zodiac is composed of twelve animals in an ancient Chinese parable that people use to infer their life choices from the characteristics described for each of the twelve animals. Appearing in the order of the zodiac this includes: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig. As the legend goes, in the race across the water the Rat outsmarted the Ox by asking for help to cross the rapid waters, only to then jump from the Ox’s head and claim first prize as victory. 

Celebrations for Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year – however you might like to call it – are very similar to the Western traditions for Christmas. The holiday is initially centred around spending time with family and friends and many people often travel very far distances to see their loved one. The period of time off for the New Year holiday is roughly one week and often the only chance many people who have moved to large cities have to travel back to their hometown. 

So how to look good during the New Year? Dazzle at the party with traditional colours of red and gold. Red and gold are the colours of prosperity in Asian cultures and it is thought that wearing them at this time will help bring good luck for the year ahead.