1. Chinese New Year Time For Celebration!

2. What is Chinese New Year? Most important holiday in Chinese culture Thousands of years old Winter Break & festivities

3. Who, What, & How Family gatherings Time to welcome in the New Year Rituals to bring in good luck Myths and legends about how it started

4. The Story of Nian

5. Where & When “Spring Festival” Traditionally ends on the 15 th day of the month on Lantern Festival First day of the Lunar/Chinese calendar Falls on different date every year Celebrated all over the world

6. Lunar Calendar The phases of the moon 12 lunations in a lunar year (1 lunation ~ 29 days) Lunar Year is about 354 days Drifts away from seasons/ unpredictable nature Second new moon after the winter solstice Western calendar

7. The Chinese Zodiac 12 year cycle Rotates with 5 elements, a complete rotation takes 60 years Yin and Yang Each animal carries different characteristics Significant in Chinese Culture

8. The Race

9. 2013! Year of the (Water) Snake February 10: January 1 st of the Chinese New Year Feb. 16 and 17: 31 st 2013 Annual San Diego Chinese New Year Food and Culture Fair