Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, is the most important Chinese holiday. It is a holiday the Chinese people began celebrating over 3,800 years ago. Today, it is more important and popular than ever. The Chinese don’t just celebrate Lunar New Year like the rest of the world celebrates New Year. Lunar New Year is a two-week festival filled with family time and blessings. It's a time when everyone forgets about work and school, spends time with loved ones, and lights up the sky with fireworks. 

The date of the celebration isn't fixed. It's tied to the Chinese lunar calendar. With the adoption of the Western calendar in 1912, the Chinese started celebrating January 1st as New Year's Day. But the Lunar New Year has a special place in Chinese culture. Let's dig deeper to determine exactly how significant this holiday is in China. 

What is the Chinese New Year?

The Chinese New Year marks the end of the previous year with the commencement of spring. Lunar New Year takes place on a different day each year. The Chinese Lunar New Year 2021 started on February 12th. In 2022, the Chinese plan to light up fireworks on February 1st in accordance with the Chinese lunar calendar. The celebration can last beyond two weeks. As a rule, the first week is a public holiday when everyone can forget about school and work. 

The origins of the Lunar New Year can be traced back to ancient times. There is a legend that people used fireworks and firecrackers to chase away Nian, the beast that ate children. The tradition has continued to the present day, and now it serves as a time for gaining good fortune and scaring off beasts. Some people believe that this celebration was meant for farmers to have a rest from their field labor and prepare for the next season. 

The Chinese calendar has 12 zodiac animals representing the cycle of 12 stations or signs. These are pig, dog, rooster, monkey, sheep, horse, snake, dragon, rabbit, tiger, ox, and rat. Each year has its own zodiac animal. The Lunar New Year 2022 will be the Tiger year, while 2021 was the Ox year.

The Lunar New Year has much in common with the Western New Year. It also marks a fresh start. But there are a few things that make it different. While getting ready for the celebration, the Chinese clean their homes, throw away all unnecessary stuff, and appease the traditional Chinese idols. 

Another tradition is giving out money to children in red envelopes. They are traditionally associated with the Lunar New Year but are also given on birthdays, weddings, and any other special occasions. By the way, it's an excellent idea for a New Year's gift. Different envelopes convey different meanings like good fortune, happiness, luck, etc.

Lion and dragon dance performances hold a special place in the Lunar New Year celebration. Like fireworks and firecrackers, they are believed to scare away the evil spirits and clear a path for good luck.

How to host a Virtual Lunar New Year celebration 

The global pandemic changed every aspect of our lives, from how we work, our shopping habits, and even how we party. With the COVID restrictions and global lockdowns, people have found new ways to spend time with their nearest and dearest and even organize virtual parties. 

Of course, there is the typical offering of the usual apps and tools for online meetings. Zoom, Google Hangouts, Skype, or Microsoft Teams are widely used for online activities. You can easily organize a Virtual Lunar New Year celebration via one of the aforementioned tools. But there is another way to make things more engaging - Party. Space. 

Party.Space levels up your virtual celebration by creating an unforgettable atmosphere just like in the good old days. Thanks to impressive virtual 3D technologies, all your guests will be able to experience full immersion in a virtual world. Your online party will be like a metaverse, a separate digital world, where your guests can be social, play different games, travel between various locations, listen to DJ sets, and even mix awesome cocktails. Here's how your virtual party can look with Party Space. 

How to celebrate the Chinese New Year online.
Your step-by-step guide

Hosting a virtual Lunar New Year party is probably the last thing we'd think of if there were no COVID at all. But this year, we also need to be more conscious about our health and find safer ways to throw a party. A virtual party can be as fun as an offline one. By the way, throwing and visiting an online party has one big advantage - there is no need to drive home after the party. Here's our simple guide on organizing and hosting a virtual party worth remembering.

1. Choose a platform
   Facebook Rooms, Zoom, Skype, and Google Meet are all great tools. While organizing a virtual party, you need to make sure that your internet connection can handle it. No one likes when the video is frozen. Apart from conventional tools for video conferencing, there are some solutions developed specifically for online parties, like Party.Space. 
2. Draw up your guest list 
   Thanks to the internet, you can invite anyone you want, including your family and friends from other parts of the world. Just don't forget about time differences.
3. Choose a theme.
   When throwing an online party, let your creativity run wild. Choose virtual backgrounds and attire. You can opt for a masked or disco party, and so on. Tell your guests beforehand what theme you're choosing for your virtual party as they will need some time to prepare their outfits.
4. Make a menu
   Even though you're throwing a virtual party, people still need to eat. Round up some ideas ahead to share with your guests. Probably, someone can share some family recipes of traditional Chinese dumplings and even hold an online masterclass.
5. Prepare games and activities
   Come up with a few ideas of go-to games for your celebration. They can be anything from Guess That Tune to Bingo, Charades, or This or That questions. There are literally thousands of activities for virtual party attendees. By the way, you can poll your guests and add the most popular games to your list of activities for a virtual party.
6. Pick out some traditional dance and fireworks shows
   The Chinese New Year cannot go without traditional lion and dragon dance performances and fireworks displays. These are vital elements of the festive mood. Pick out some of the most popular shows or find some live-streaming events to watch with your guests.
7. Host an amazing virtual Lunar New Year party
   While partying with your nearest and dearest, share your resolutions for the next year and turn them into a game. Let your guests anonymously submit their resolutions, and then your guests can try to figure out who each resolution belongs to. 
   Throwing an online party isn't harder than hosting a traditional one. But it has several benefits, including no party messes, no need to drive back home, and no worries about accommodating guests in your home.

Top 10 virtual Chinese New Year ideas & activities

While planning a virtual-run Lunar New Year party, you’ll need to enrich your celebration with fun activities for your guests. You can think about some go-to games like Bingo or Quiz or some crazier ones like a virtual talent show. Here are 10 more ideas and activities for your virtual Lunar New Year party 👇

1. Prepare songs for Music Bingo
   Try to include different songs in a Music Bingo Playlist. Make it harder for your guests to guess a song. You can include various categories of songs like pop and traditional. And don't forget about prizes for winners! It may be different electronic vouchers, subscriptions, etc. 
   
2. Word Puzzle
   Word puzzles are fun for people of any age, from children to adults. It'd be great if you prepared or found some New Year word puzzles to get people immersed in the New Year mood. There is one way to make it even more exciting; turn it into a race, and award the first person who guesses all the words. 
3. Organize a paper cutting workshop 
   Your guests will enjoy creating beautiful pieces of paper-cut artwork, especially if there are lots of kids at your virtual party. You can plan a masterclass on creating a "Chun" piece, a Chinese New Year Character meaning spring. 
4. Watch lion and dragon dance performances
   Given the pandemic, it may not be safe to travel and visit a live dance performance. But you can watch recorded or live streamed performances together with your guests. A lion or dragon dance performance is an indispensable part of the Chinese New Year celebration.  
5. Meow song
   Spice up your virtual party with some more culturally Chinese ideas. Turn some popular songs into meow songs and make your guests guess which song they were derived from.
6. Cocktail mixology
   You can set up a cocktail master class with a renowned cocktail mixologist, thanks to modern technologies. But don’t forget to send your guests boxes with ingredients beforehand. Otherwise, they won’t be able to follow along.
7. Create a playlist of Chinese New Year songs
   There are tons of Chinese New Year songs that can help you set the right mood and atmosphere for your online party. You can take advantage of ready-made Spotify playlists or create your own.
8. Set up a dress code
   Set up a red dress code for your party when celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year in 2022 online. Red is a lucky color that is traditionally worn on the Lunar New Year and at weddings. Moreover, you can even set a prize for the best red outfit. Ask your guests to take a photo wearing their New Year outfits and organize an anonymous poll. The winner receives the prize based on the votes collected.
9. Share family moments
   Chinese New Year is a traditional holiday that families tend to celebrate together. If you’re throwing a virtual celebration, consider creating a slideshow with the best memories of the Ox Year. There is one more idea of how to integrate a family element into your party. You can set up a photo quiz where guests have to guess who is pictured in the photo.
10. Talent show
    Your nearest and dearest may possess special skills that you were not aware of. Some may dance, sing, or even charm snakes. Talent shows are second-to-none when it comes to entertainment. Just ask your guests to present their talent and don’t forget to prepare valuable prizes for every participant.
    

Summing up 

The Chinese New Year is a special time in Chinese culture. During the lunar festival, people are trying to spend as much time with their families and friends as possible. But the global pandemic has dramatically changed the way we are able to celebrate it. 

Thanks to modern technologies, you can celebrate the Lunar New Year in 2022 without even leaving your home. We hope you’ll find our ultimate Chinese New Year ideas and activities helpful for planning your online celebration. 

With Party.Space, you can throw an unforgettable farewell party for the Lunar New Year 2022 and welcome the Tiger Year with your family and friends. Our platform is highly flexible and can adjust per your needs. By the way, sign up for a free demo to try our platform and Kung Hei Fat Choi!