Today is the first day of the Chinese New Year. Unlike our New Year celebrations, which are concentrated on one day, Chinese New Year is celebrated for a month.

The date for Chinese New Year changes each year because the Chinese calendar combines aspects of solar and lunar calendars. The calculations are complex, so I’ll just say that Chinese New Year occurs on the second new moon after the winter solstice. Two years ago, in 2006, there was a Leap Year in the Chinese calendar, but instead of just an extra day, they got a whole extra month!

The year we refer to as 2008 is the year 4706 on the Chinese calendar. It is the Year of the Rat.

According to legend the Chinese New Year began to celebrate how an old man got rid of a beast that was torturing people. Others say that is a spring celebration, the kind that people all over the world used to have to welcome in a new season.

For many Chinese in China and all over the world, it is a time to get together with family and friends to express gratitude and celebrate life.

The Madera/I-Lan Sister City Corporation works to continue Madera’s ties with I-Lan, its Sister City in China and they host a Chinese New Year Dinner every year.