Zodiac Animals
There are this many animals in the Chinese zodiac cycle.
What is 12?
This bright color scares away evil spirits and is worn/used everywhere during CNY.
What is Red?
This whole animal is served with head and tail intact to symbolize a good year "from beginning to end".
What is fish?
This noisy thing was originally used to scare away the Nian monster.
What are firecrackers?
Chinese New Year is also commonly called this name in China today.
What is Spring Festival?
This clever first animal tricked others to win the race across the river.
What is the Rat?
You should not do this household chore on New Year's Day, or you will wash away good fortune.
What is sweeping/cleaning/dusting?
These sticky rice dumplings wrapped in leaves are especially popular during Lantern Festival.
What are tangyuan/rice balls?
Dragon dances and lion dances are performed to bring this to businesses and homes.
What is good luck/prosperity?
Chinese New Year follows this calendar.
What is the lunar calendar?
2026 is the Year of this fiery, powerful creature.
What is the Horse?
These red packets filled with money are given by married adults to children and unmarried people.
What are hongbao/red envelopes?
The shape dumplings symbolize this ancient Chinese currency.
What is silver ignot/bars?
The 15-day celebration ends with this festival featuring lanterns and riddles.
What is the Lantern Festival?
The twelve year cycle of the Chinese zodiac is based on this organized by the Jade Emperor.
What is the Great Race?
2026 is the year of the Horse, in which year was the last year of the horse cycle.
What is 2014?
Hanging the character Fu upside down is lucky because it sounds like this phrase.
What is "good fortune has arrived" (fu dao le)?
What is the Tray of Togetherness?
People wear new clothes on CNY for this reason.
What is starting fresh and bringing luck?
According to Chinese mythology, the dragon Nian lives in this place.
Where is under the sea or in the mountains?
The Fire element combined with Horse creates the rare 60-year cycle phenomenon, last seen in 1966.
What is the Fire Horse?
This word sounding like "death" is taboo to say during Chinese New Year.
What is si/four?
Lotus seeds symbolize this wish for families during the New Year.
What is having many sons/children/offspring?
This mythical beast attacked villages every New Year's Eve until people used red and loud noises to scare it away.
What is the dragon Nian?
This dynasty is when many modern Chinese New Year customs began to take shape.
What is the Han Dynasty?