When does the Lunar New Year 2022 take place?

This year Lunar New Year will fall on Tuesday 1st of February.

What is Lunar New Year?

Also known as the Spring Festival, the Lunar New Year is an annual festival that marks the start of a New Year, beginning on the second new moon after the winter solstice and ending on the full moon, 15 days later. It falls on a different day every year. In Chinese tradition, each year is named after one of 12 animals, which feature in the Chinese zodiac cycle: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.

This year the New Year animal sign is the Tiger.

How is Lunar New Year Celebrated?

Traditionally a time to honour deities, it is now the most important celebration in the Chinese calendar, a time where friends and family gather and spend time together. Some of the traditions include cleaning homes to make them ready for the celebrations and to rid spaces of ill-fortune and make way for incoming good luck.

Other festivities include reunion dinners, with dishes such as noodle soup at the top of the menu which is said to bring luck for the year ahead. Decorating windows and doors with red papercuts and couplets, giving money in red paper envelopes and lighting firecrackers also thought to fend off evil spirits. There are often parades where performers dress in traditional Chinese clothing and the end of the New Year celebration period is signalled with a special lantern display.

Lunar New Year: 2022, The Year of the Tiger

Usually every year, hundreds of thousands of people descend on London’s West End to enjoy a colourful parade, free stage performances and traditional Chinese food, and to wish each other "Xin Nian Kuai Le" (Happy New Year in Mandarin) or "San Nin Faai Lok" (in Cantonese). However, this year, the official Chinese New Year celebrations have been cancelled.

In replace of the large-scale event, there will be many smaller, independently organised activities occurring across the capital, as well as a big online event which you can follow with the hashtag #CNYLondon. This will offer an online programme of events and activities from the 31st of January. There will also be a special television broadcast on the 6th of February (details yet to be released) and the London Eye will light up in red and gold to mark the occasion.

LUNAR NEW YEAR EVENTS IN 2022

The Steamroom East x NicoNico

Tiger Year Draw/Donate/Display

Date: 29th January to 12th February.

Head to The Steamroom East to celebrate the new year, featuring artists: @artforthegentlespirit, @cheriekwok_illustration, @karon.draws, @mila.fantacy, @phngkengboon, @rachipao, @sketchykarr, @sminspiring_art

Attend workshop sessions to get creative and personalise your own red envelope.

Share your creations and tag @thesteamroomeast and @niconico_every

Guide minimum donation is £8 per Lai See with all proceedings going to @hackneychinese. The donations will go towards helping with renovations and moving into the Old Bath House, as well as contribute towards staffed roles.