College Advisor logo

What is a Gap Year? Why take a Gap Year?

' src=

Taking a gap year – Introduction

Many students and parents automatically think of college as the next step after high school. However, there are other options for students who feel as though their educational and professional trajectories aren’t quite so linear. Perhaps you’ve heard that a gap year is a great option that provides students with an outside-the-norm, enriching, and educational experience. But, you may be wondering, what is a gap year?

We’ll shortly get into the “gap year” meaning, but it’s also important to understand that gap years may not be for everyone. However, when taken with intention, gap years are often life changing times. After reading this article you’ll understand the gap year meaning and be better prepared to decide if the gap year experience could be for you. 

In this article we’ll explore the ins and outs of gap years, including:

  • What exactly is the definition of a gap year?
  • Potential gap year ideas

Gap year statistics

  • What specific gap year programs exist?
  • How to decide whether to take a gap year
  • General gap year advice, and more…

What is a gap year?

Now that you’re intrigued by the topic, let’s get into its meaning. What is a gap year? A gap year is a wonderful time for students to have an experiential learning experience outside of the traditional educational setting. Think of it as a year full of extracurricular activities for your resume. 

There are many gap year programs that can assist students in deciding what to do during their  gap year. However, there is certainly no one right or wrong gap year program. The gap year experience will vary greatly from person to person, and there is no shortage of gap year ideas that students can choose from.

A likely question to follow, “What is a gap year?” is, “Why take a gap year?” Students can benefit from taking a gap year after high school in order to learn more about themselves and further pursue areas of interest. It’s a time to dive into extracurricular activities for your resume. Gap year programs are a great way to gain confidence and recharge before heading into four years of university . 

Definition of a gap year

The answer to “what is a gap year” and the gap year definition is simple: a year taken off from university or college in order to pursue other goals. A gap year may also refer to a year taken after college when graduates don’t go straight into the workforce in their field. It’s important to understand that a gap year isn’t a “year off,” as many describe it. It’s a time to experience, learn, and gain awareness. These gap year experiences also serve as meaningful extracurricular activities for your resume.

Students typically take a gap year after high school and before college, however, many university graduates opt to take a gap year after college. A gap year is an opportunity to do some experiential learning in order to gain confidence and experience . 

There are many reasons that students might choose to take a gap year: 

  • Experience something new (travel, internships, volunteering) before college
  • Work and save money before college
  • Reapply to college after graduating from high school

What to do during a gap year?

We’ve covered, “What is a gap year?”, a year taken to pursue a passion or gain professional experience. Many gap year ideas exist, as many students have taken gap years that look completely different. No gap year experience is right or wrong. The purpose of a gap year is whatever you want it to be. When thinking about what to do in a gap year, think about what you want to gain during that year. As long as you put intention behind it, then you’re sure to have a successful gap year experience. 

why take a gap year?

There are many things to consider before deciding to take a gap year. If you decide that it’s right for you, then there are ample gap year ideas and gap year programs to assist you in deciding how to spend your time. 

Students can take the time to travel and have a cultural experience, volunteer and get involved in the community, or intern and gain professional experience. Gap year ideas are endless! 

When looking for gap year advice and considering what to do in a gap year, think about your goals for that gap year. Do you want to recharge and reapply to schools, dedicating more time to college applications in order to get better college admissions results? Or, do you want to learn more about yourself in order to guide you in how to choose a college major? These questions will help you to decide what gap year ideas or gap year programs will suit your needs and goals. 

We all know tuition costs are high. Do you want to take some time to work and save before setting off? That’s certainly an option. There are many valid gap year ideas. And remember, a gap year after college will vary greatly from a gap year after high school.  

After all, what is a gap year anyway? We know it’s time away from the traditional education or career path. But a gap year after college or a gap year after high school will differ depending on goals and financial circumstances. The best gap year advice is to set some goals and make a plan that works for you. Doing that will give you plenty of gap year ideas just for you. 

Gap year and travel

After years of study and an obsession with extracurriculars for college, college rankings , and college applications , it’s probably exciting to think about something other than extracurriculars for college and the college admissions process. What is a gap year to you? Well, it could be an adventure just for you. So, if you’re really feeling like college might not be for you right now, stop obsessing over extracurricular activities for your resume and instead consider gap year programs or gap year ideas. 

what is a gap year?

Is your list of gap year ideas centered around the idea of exploring a new place, culture, or language? Students taking a gap year after high school or a gap year after college may decide to travel around the world or the country before returning to college or entering the workforce. Travel is a great time for self-discovery and to enhance self-awareness. 

There are many gap year programs at universities that encourage travel during a gap year after high school. Some universities, such as Princeton , offer gap year programs that allow accepted students to take a gap year and travel within a university-sponsored program. 

However, you don’t necessarily need the support of a university to travel during a gap year. You can certainly do so on your own. Consider your financial situation when debating a year of travel. It can be costly. Gap year ideas can include opting to work for six months in order to finance your travel for the other six. Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all gap year experience. 

Gap year and volunteer

Students may also decide to do some gap year volunteering. There are many ways in which students can volunteer during their gap year after high school or their gap year after college. 

what is a gap year?

Certain universities will sponsor gap year programs that allow students to do some gap year volunteering at various organizations. You could also find your own gap year volunteering opportunities through other external organizations. 

Gap year volunteering is one of the best extracurriculars for college and a great way to make your college applications stand out . Students who plan to reapply to college during their gap years could bolster their college resume with volunteer work. Recent graduates who decide to take a gap year after college may find inspiration or motivation through gap year volunteering that could direct their career plans. 

Not sure where to start when looking for gap year volunteering opportunities? Check out this list of resources for gap year advice about gap year volunteering through different gap year programs. 

Gap year and intern or job shadow

Volunteering and travel are great gap year ideas, however, gaining professional work experience is another way to bolster your college resume and college applications if you’re thinking of reapplying. Working or interning are impressive extracurricular activities for your resume . They’re also great ways to gain practical experience that could help you choose a college major . 

There are many benefits to interning or working during a gap year: 

  • Learn about a career path that interests you
  • Gain an understanding of adult life
  • Save money for college

Gap years don’t have to be a series of Instagram-worthy moments, with crazy travel pictures in beautiful settings. There’s a lot of value in taking a year to get ahead with savings and professional experience. 

Working and interning are great gap year ideas that allow students to enhance their college resume with practical experience. And, you’ll even pad your savings in the process sounds like some pretty good gap year ideas to me!

Taking a gap year before college

Let’s continue to explore “What is a gap year?” and what it could be for you. Students may be searching for gap year ideas and choosing to take a gap year after high school for a number of reasons. 

Gap years are a great way to gain experiences that lead to further self-awareness while getting closer to achieving your goals. They can be a way for students to recharge, outside of the traditional academic setting, and enter college with more motivation to learn. A gap year could serve as a way to fund your college education by working full time. You’ll have some savings and gain professional experience. 

why take a gap year?

Mind the gap (year)

When exactly do you need to decide to take a gap year? It can vary from student to student. You might choose to take a gap year as early as the beginning of your senior year, or maybe your college admissions decisions make you rethink heading directly into college, or you might have known throughout your entire high school career that a gap year is for you. Your reason for taking a gap year will likely affect your timeline. 

Many schools will allow you to defer admission for a year if accepted. However, if you’re considering a gap year while completing your college applications, you should make sure every program you’re applying to will allow you to defer. 

A gap year after high school could be even more enjoyable if you already know that you’ve been accepted and have enrolled in college for the following year. Consider committing to a school by their deadline with a deposit in order to secure your spot after your gap year has ended.

While there are both gap year pros and cons, the gap year statistics seem to be overwhelmingly positive . 98% of students who decided to take a gap year thought that they had a fruitful experience. 96% said it helped them to gain self-confidence and 93% said it enhanced their communication skills. 

Taking a gap year is gaining in popularity, but gap years still aren’t commonplace. Out of 300,000 college freshmen surveyed, only 1.2% decided to take gap years. While the gap year experience may not be what every student expects, gap year statistics are quite positive overall. 

Here are some other recent gap year statistics: 

gap year statistics

Top schools like Amherst , Princeton , and MIT are now adopting admission policies that make it easier to defer admission for a gap year. You should look into the schools you’re sending college applications to see what type of gap year programs or requisites they have. Check out some of the gap year programs at FSU and Tulane to see what these schools are offering. 

While there are many gap programs out there, your gap year should be whatever you want it to be. If none of the gap year programs with universities appeal to you, look for your own gap year program, or simply plan it independently. 

Benefits of taking a gap year before college

There are various gap year pros and cons, but if you go into a gap year with the right intentions, the benefits of the gap year experience are many. And as we saw in the statistics, most students found their gap year to be a rewarding experience. 

Why take a gap year? Taking a gap year bolsters your college resume and even your employability. The learned experiences in that gap year can translate to useful skills in the workplace. Work or internship opportunities are a great way to gain professional experience. 

If you have academic interests, try exploring career paths within that field. This gives you practical experience and helps you to decide or confirm your college major. Some students may also work during their gap year in order to save money for college. 

Traveling during your gap year, either with a gap year program or not, is a wonderful way to learn and explore at the same time. Students will learn about a new culture, community, and could even learn a new language. 

A second chance at college admissions

Gap years can also be second chances at the college application process. If college admissions didn’t go your way the first time, a gap year can be a great time to work on your extracurricular activities for your resume and polish your college application and college resume further. 

One student chose to do just that with her gap year. Sumaiya had a clear plan for her gap year, entering a specific gap year program, but she also used that time to complete more college applications with the support of CollegeAdvisor.com.

While there are many different gap year ideas that students bring to fruition, they all seem to have ample benefits. Taking a gap year after high school has been proven to improve students’ academic performances. The academic benefits span over four years, with gap year students outperforming their peers academically by a range of .01 to.04 on the 4.0 scale. Students often come back from their gap years motivated, focused, and mature, which leads to greater success in college. 

How will a gap year affect my admission chances?

You may be wondering how taking a gap year could affect college admissions. It will not undermine your admission odds. In fact, many universities such as Amherst, Princeton, and MIT are creating structures that encourage students to take gap years. Some schools even have specific gap year programs that incoming freshmen can apply for. If all you think and dream about are potential gap year ideas, then these types of university sponsored gap year programs may affect how you build a college list and choose a college.  

While some universities encourage gap years with specific gap year programs, other schools don’t have the same set up. So, while taking a gap year won’t affect college admissions, you should always double check with the university to make sure that you can take a gap year without forfeiting your enrollment . 

If you choose to take a gap year without enrolling in university, you can use the experiences from your gap year to strengthen your college application. It’s the perfect time to add some meaningful extracurriculars for college to your college applications. 

Gap year costs and scholarships

With college costs high, and most students needing to take out student loans in order to finance their education, the cost of a gap year may seem like a lavish and irresponsible decision. Taking a gap year is an exciting opportunity, but let’s take a moment to think about the financial aspects of a gap year program or just taking a gap year independently. Gap year ideas will greatly affect your budgeting.

what is a gap year?

Just like tuition costs affect your college choices, so will the cost of various gap year ideas. But, gap years aren’t always financial burdens. In fact, gap years can help you to earn money that will help you finance your education. While gap year volunteering won’t earn you money, you could get a job instead or volunteer and work at the same time. 

Gap year programs or independent travel during a gap year may be expensive. There are scholarship opportunities available for gap year programs. Gap Year Association and EF Gap Year are gap year programs that offer scholarships and grants to their participants. Some universities that encourage gap years or have specific gap year programs, often offer assistance or options for financial aid. 

Students taking gap years could work for part of the year in order to fund their travels or gap year volunteering. If finances are the only factor keeping you from the gap year program of your dreams, know that there are options. 

While gap years may seem costly and elitist, there are actually many options for students of every income level. Verto Education offers international semester long programs as low as $5,000 for students who qualify for an “opportunity grant.” Some programs even allow students to gain college credits. 

More options to finance gap years has likely come from an increased awareness of gap year programs. Specifically, there has been a recent increase in interest in the US. Some think it may have something to do with the former first daughter Malia Obama deciding to take a gap year after high school in 2016.

Still worried about the cost? Forbes breaks down the gap year and offers some options to finance a gap year. 

Should I take a gap year?

What is a gap year? A gap year isn’t just a compilation of extracurricular activities for your resume. It’s a passion project with a purpose. 

Like choosing a college , deciding to take a gap year is a big decision. When weighing gap year ideas and options, it’s important to think about what you’d like to gain from your gap year: work experience, language learning, redo on college admissions, etc. 

Success Stories: Sumaiya Binte Imad

Sumaiya , a CollegeAdvisor client, had success with her gap year because she had a plan. She knew that she wanted to help women start their own business. Sumaiya found a gap year program called Global Citizen Year that worked for her. She even received a scholarship. Sumaiya is not only spending her gap year volunteering, but also sending out college applications again. She says the college admissions process seems less stressful this time, now that she’s done it before and is no longer in classes. 

There are few instances of students taking a gap year and regretting it. Gap year students are able to gain real world experience and confidence. The gap year experience often contributes to choosing their college major and career path. Gap years can serve as a wonderful time to partake in meaningful extracurricular activities for your resume. 

If you’re interested in learning more about gap years, check out this book that discusses how taking a gap year can make you a better global citizen. 

Gap year pros and cons

With more and more students googling “what is a gap year,” gap year programs have been gaining popularity in recent years. The pandemic especially has swayed many students from heading straight into university from high school. While exploring gap year ideas is exciting, you’ll want to look at both the gap year pros and cons. 

As you can see, there are many gap year pros and cons. Creating your own list, unique to you and your interests and goals, could help in making your decision. Ultimately, taking a gap year is a personal decision. 

How to plan your gap year

There is no shortage of gap year ideas or gap year programs, but where should you begin when thinking about what to do in a gap year? Start by first defining your goals and intentions for your gap year. 

what is a gap year?

Do you want to acquire language skills? Consider travel. Do you want to develop leadership skills through service? Try volunteering. Does the idea of saving extra money before entering college sound like it could relieve some financial stress? Work and save some money. 

Choosing what you want from your gap year after high school is the best way to start planning . From there, you can start looking into gap year programs or plan independently. Ideally, students wanting to take a gap year will start planning as early as senior year. Students planning to take gap years need to decide if they will defer college admissions decisions or reapply the following year. If you decide to defer, learn all the requisites at your schools of interest. 

Similarly, planning a gap year after college will change a lot based on your goals for that time. Are you exploring career paths or looking into graduate school? Gap year advice for planning your gap year has everything to do with the individual who is taking the gap year after college. But, there are no shortage of gap year ideas for whatever your short and long term goals may be. 

Gap year ideas

After you’ve thought about your intentions for your gap year or gap year program, the fun really begins. There are many gap year ideas to get you excited about this next adventure! 

covid 19 and gap years

Here are some gap year ideas to get you started: 

  • Take on a job that interests you, or a job that pays and allows you to live independently and save. 
  • Find an internship in your desired field. 
  • Travel somewhere you’ve never been before. 
  • Do some gap year volunteering with an organization that excites you. 
  • Apply to a gap year program that looks meaningful to you. 
  • Split your year between working and traveling or working and gap year volunteering. 

Gap year programs will vary based on individual students. There is no right or wrong gap year program. As long as it excites you and is financially manageable, then it’s the perfect gap year program for you. As an added bonus, all of these gap year ideas will serve as impressive extracurricular activities for your resume.

Gap year in the time of COVID-19

Many students have decided to answer the question of “what is a gap year” themselves, by taking a gap year while awaiting normalcy from universities nationwide. While things have improved greatly in the US, there are still COVID-based gap year considerations to factor into your decisions or planning. 

what is a gap year?

Some schools stopped sponsoring international travel during the pandemic. You’ll want to check into the gap year programs at your desired schools to see if there are any limits or restrictions on their gap year programs. 

Independent travel may also be complicated or restricted depending on the part of the world where you’d like to be. Do some research about COVID restrictions, pandemic progress, and vaccine availability for your desired destinations to see if it will hinder your experience. 

Some internships are likely still limiting capacity due to the pandemic. Internships could be virtual or hybrid in order to limit the number of people in the workspace. Consider if that is the type of experience you want from your gap year. 

Why take a gap year? – Final Thoughts

Taking a gap year can be a life changing experience. Students are able to further explore their interests, develop new skills, and gain independence and confidence. When done well, gap years can help students to develop purpose and direction for their futures. Whether it helps them to choose a college major or a career path, gap years have many benefits. 

Choosing to take a gap year is a personal decision. Take into consideration gap year pros and cons when making a decision. If done well, gap years provide impressive extracurricular activities for your resume. Discuss the idea with your family. And remember, CollegeAdvisor.com can help guide you through the decision making process and navigate planning a gap year that suits you and your future goals. 

what is a gap year

This article was written by Sarah Kaminski. If you want to get help with your college applications or figuring out to take gap year from  CollegeAdvisor.com  Admissions Experts ,  register with CollegeAdvisor.com today ! Also, check out our other guides to  Best Colleges  and  College Acceptance Rates  as you think about college admissions and make a plan to achieve your higher education goals .

Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

Personalized and effective college advising for high school students.

  • Advisor Application
  • Popular Colleges
  • Privacy Policy and Cookie Notice
  • Student Login
  • California Privacy Notice
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Your Privacy Choices

By using the College Advisor site and/or working with College Advisor, you agree to our updated Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy , including an arbitration clause that covers any disputes relating to our policies and your use of our products and services.

en

  • Immersion Program
  • Learn Chinese Online
  • Study Abroad in China
  • Custom Travel Programs
  • Teach in China
  • What is CLI?
  • Testimonials
  • The CLI Center
  • Photo Gallery

A Brief Guide to the Chinese New Year (春节 Chūnjié)

introduction year meaning

Learn Chinese in China or on Zoom and gain fluency in Chinese!

Join CLI and learn Chinese with your personal team of Mandarin teachers online or in person at the CLI Center in Guilin , China.

Perhaps the most important of all Chinese holidays , the Chinese New Year is celebrated worldwide each January or February in places like Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Mainland China.

Also called the Spring Festival (春节 Chūnjié), the Chinese New Year celebrates the beginning of the Chinese year based on the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar and officially ends 14 days later with the Lantern Festival .

introduction year meaning

Table of Contents

How is Chinese New Year celebrated?

1. steamed fish | 蒸鱼 | zhēng yú, 2. new year cake | 年糕 | niángāo, 3. spring rolls | 春卷 | chūnjuǎn, 4. fruits | 水果 | shuǐguǒ, 5. dumplings | 饺子 | jiǎozi, 6. “longevity noodles” | 长寿面 | chángshòumiàn, 7. tangyuan | 汤圆 | tāngyuán, 1. 新年快乐 (xīnnián kuàilè) - happy new year, 2. 恭喜发财 (gōngxǐfācái) - may you have a prosperous year, 兔年大吉 (tùnián dàjí) - happy year of the rabbit (2023), 4. 岁岁平安 (suìsuì píng'ān) - may you have peace year after year, 5. 万事如意 (wànshìrúyì) - may all your hopes be fulfilled, 1. no cleaning, 2. no wearing black or white, 3. no cutting hair, 4. no breaking things, why is it called the “lunar” new year, chinese zodiac animal signs, the chinese new year through a local's eyes, chinese vocabulary for the spring festival, join a spring festival celebration and practice your chinese.

Learn Chinese with CLI

introduction year meaning

Spring Festival is a time for families to come together, exchange money-filled red envelopes (红包, hóngbāo) , and enjoy delicious Chinese food.

The Chinese New Year is a 15-day holiday and includes a variety of festivities depending on the region and its local traditions and customs. However, certain common customs are shared regardless of region.

For example, it is common practice to decorate one’s home with Chinese lanterns . In many homes, you will find auspicious Chinese characters and couplets on red paper stuck on doors. Red is an auspicious color as it scares away the Nian monster . Wearing new clothes is also a common tradition to ward off bad luck—a new year is a time for newness after all!

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Chinese Language Institute (@studycli)

The Chinese New Year is an important time to 拜年 (bàinián, to pay a new year call), so it is common practice to visit relatives and exchange auspicious greetings and Chinese gifts , including the ever-popular lucky red envelopes filled with Chinese currency . Devoted Buddhist and Daoist practitioners also often visit local temples to welcome the new year.

The holiday has even had an influence on the traditional festivals of other cultures with whom the Chinese have historically interacted, including the Koreans, Vietnamese, Mongolians, and Japanese.

introduction year meaning

What foods are eaten during Chinese New Year?

Family is of central importance in traditional Chinese culture, and Spring Festival is generally a very family-oriented holiday.

The New Year’s Eve dinner (年夜饭 niányèfàn) kick starts the tradition of family reunions. In fact, the Chinese Spring Festival also marks the world’s largest human migration, as overseas Chinese and Chinese migrant laborers return home to celebrate the advent of the new year alongside their families.

introduction year meaning

Though traditions can vary between northern and southern China, here are a few examples of common “auspicious foods” presented at reunion dinners:

As you may already know, the Chinese language includes many homophones (同音词 tóngyīncí), which results in many characters and words having the same pronunciation as one another.

introduction year meaning

In this instance, “fish” (鱼 yú) has the same pronunciation as “surplus” (余 yú). There is also a typical New Year greeting, 年年有余 (niánnián yǒuyú), which translates to “may you have a surplus (of blessings) every year”. Therefore, eating fish symbolizes an increase in prosperity.

Sticky rice cakes symbolize a prosperous year to come, as “cake” (糕 gāo) has the same pronunciation as “high/lofty” (高 gāo). This coincides with the greeting 年年高升 (niánniángāoshēng; “advance year after year”). Rice cakes are a must during Chinese New Year festivities!

introduction year meaning

How can you start spring without spring rolls? This delicacy was originally a seasonal food that was consumed only during the spring. Eating spring rolls is a way to welcome the arrival of spring, and their golden color also symbolizes wealth and prosperity.

introduction year meaning

Fruits are commonly enjoyed as desserts and snacks during Spring Festival celebrations. They symbolize life and new beginnings and are also a common new year gift.

introduction year meaning

Due to their resemblance to imperial coins (元宝 yuánbǎo), dumplings are representative of wealth and fortune.

“Longevity noodles” are a kind of flat Cantonese egg noodles which are usually consumed during special occasions (such as the Chinese New Year and birthdays).

introduction year meaning

As their name indicates, their long strings represent longevity and living to a ripe old age. The trick is to eat them in a single mouthful and not cut the noodles short!

The fifteenth and final day of the new year holiday is celebrated by the Lantern Festival (元宵节 Yuánxiāojié). During this time, it is common to eat a Chinese dessert called tāngyuán (汤圆), which consists of sweet glutinous rice balls filled with a variety of fillings such as sesame, peanut, and red bean paste. Their round shapes represent togetherness and reunion.

introduction year meaning

How to Say Happy New Year in Chinese

Would you like to wish a friend, colleague, or loved one Happy New Year in Chinese? Read on to learn this festive phrase and more!

Cultural note: In China, people often hold a fist salute or 抱拳礼 (bàoquánlǐ) when saying the below greetings. Remember that this method of greeting is mainly used during formal occasions, so we suggest to avoid using it during informal encounters!

Saying “Xīnnián Kuàilè” is the simplest and most straightforward way to wish your Chinese friends, family and colleagues a happy new year. Want to know how to pronounce it? Just watch the following video and repeat!

YouTube video

In addition to 新年快乐 (Xīnnián Kuàilè), this is probably the most popular saying you'll hear around the Chinese New Year. It has been the center of many 贺年歌曲 (hènián gēqǔ, Chinese New Year songs) and literally means “congratulations, make a fortune!”

Learn to sing along to the famous Chinese New Year song “恭喜” (gōngxǐ) in the following video.

YouTube video

大吉 (dàjí) is a noun meaning very auspicious or lucky. You can put any given year's zodiac animal year before 大吉 and use it as a general new year greeting. You can also simply say 大吉大利 (dàjídàlì), which means “good luck and great prosperity.”

To learn how to say other year-specific Spring Festival greetings, see the Spring Festival Chinese Vocabulary List toward the bottom of this article.

introduction year meaning

A fun things aspect of Chinese is wordplay based on 同音词 (tóngyīncí, homophones). A great example of this is 岁岁平安. Breaking things during the Chinese new year is a taboo in China as it is believed to bring bad luck resulting in money loss and a family split in the future.

If something does break, you can say “碎碎平安” (suìsuìpíngān) which sounds exactly the same as “岁岁平安” (suìsuìpíngān) . “碎” means to break, whereas “岁” means age or year and is the character used in 岁岁平安. This is a very clever way to negate all that bad luck!

万 literally means “ten thousand” or “a great number.” When you say 万事如意 to your Chinese friends, you are literally wishing that all matters (万事, ten thousand matters/affairs) be according to his/her wishes (如意)。

happy chinese new year

What are some taboos during Spring Festival?

All auspicious things aside, there are certain taboos that must be avoided during Chinese New Year:

Any type of “spring cleaning” must take place before the new year and never during the actual holiday. This allows the cleaned space to be filled with the new blessings and fortunes of the new year. Cleaning during the holiday consequently means that you are getting rid of these new fortunes!

In Chinese color symbolism, black signifies evil and white is the color of death and used for funerals. Instead, auspicious colors such as red and gold are often worn during the new year.

发 fā (hair) is also the character and sound for 发财 fā cái (to get rich), so cutting hair signifies a loss of fortune.

碎 suì means to break, whereas 岁 suì means age or year. If something does break, you can say “碎碎平安” (suì suì píng ān) which sounds exactly the same as “岁岁平安” (“may you have peace year after year”).

red lanterns

The term “lunar” is an English adaptation, mainly because the holiday starts with the new moon, ends with the full moon 14 days later, and is thus based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar . The name of the holiday in Chinese, 春节 Chūnjié, literally translates to “Spring Festival”.

introduction year meaning

The Chinese New Year is also a time when the annual zodiac sign changes, meaning that each year is assigned to a specific zodiac animal. Zodiac signs play an integral role in Chinese culture. It is said that your luck regarding financial situations, health and relationships for each year can be calculated based on your zodiac sign.

To ask your Chinese friends and colleagues what their zodiac animal is, just say "你属什么? (nǐ shǔ shénme?)". 属 shǔ can mean “to belong to” or “to be born in the year of". In China, it is common to be asked how old you are or what your 生肖 (shēngxiào, Chinese zodiac sign) is.

In response, you can say: 我属 (wǒ shǔ) + insert animal. For example: “我属牛” (Wǒ shǔ niú, I was born in the Year of the Ox ). Consult CLI's article on the 12 Chinese Zodiac Animals for an in-depth look at this cultural phenomena and to find out what your own zodiac sign is!

introduction year meaning

In our Spring Festival video, we invite you to peer into the life of a Guilin resident who walked the same arduous path traveled by so many in China from poverty to prosperity. Join Dayong, a CLI team member since 2009, as he converses with Uncle Ye (叶叔叔, Yè Shūshu) about how his quality of life has changed for the better over the decades.

While watching the video, follow along in this downloadable Chinese-English transcript for the Chinese characters, Chinese pinyin , and English translation.

introduction year meaning

We hope this article helped you learn more about the Chinese New Year! It is truly a fun and festive holiday that is celebrated all across the world. Spring Festival is a time for family reunions, showing appreciation for one’s friends, and delicious feasts.

If you are in China during Spring Festival, we hope you'll get to experience this important holiday for yourself by participating in some Chinese New Year activities with friends or colleagues. Keep in mind that many people will be traveling back and forth during this period as part of the famous Spring Festival travel rush (春运 chūnyùn). If you do plan to go anywhere during this period, especially by train , make sure to buy your tickets far in advance.

If you aren't in China, we encourage you to seek out your local Chinese community, attend holiday events, and even volunteer to help prepare for the Chinese New Year festivities. This is a great way to learn more about Chinese culture and to immerse yourself in the Chinese language .

And now that you know some Chinese New Year greetings, it is time to put them to use! On behalf of the CLI team, we wish you a wonderful Chinese New Year and welcome you to learn Chinese in China . 祝大新年快乐,身体健康,万事如意 !

introduction year meaning

Free 30-minute Trial Lesson

Continue exploring.

introduction year meaning

  • Chinese Holidays

introduction year meaning

Copyright 2024  |  Terms & Conditions   |  FAQ   |  Learn Chinese in China

  • Dictionaries home
  • American English
  • Collocations
  • German-English
  • Grammar home
  • Practical English Usage
  • Learn & Practise Grammar (Beta)
  • Word Lists home
  • My Word Lists
  • Recent additions
  • Resources home
  • Text Checker

Definition of introduction noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

introduction

Of book/speech.

  • a book with an excellent introduction and notes
  • introduction to something Can you write a brief introduction to the text?
  • introduction by somebody The English edition has an introduction by Herbert Read.
  • in an introduction His mother is mentioned in the introduction.
  • By way of introduction , let me give you the background to the story.
  • She wrote the introduction to his collected letters.
  • Her book features an introduction by French actress Catherine Deneuve.
  • Let's skip the introduction and get straight down to the facts.
  • in an/​the introduction
  • introduction to

Want to learn more?

Find out which words work together and produce more natural-sounding English with the Oxford Collocations Dictionary app. Try it for free as part of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.

introduction year meaning

A Brief History of Lunar New Year

introduction year meaning

Chinese celebrations marking the start of the Lunar New Year last a fortnight, during which revellers paint the town red – quite literally – for 15 days of feasts, firecrackers and festivals. Why? Culture Trip explores the origins of this tradition as we ring in the Year of the Pig.

Unlike the fixed new year of the Gregorian calendar on 1 January, the new Lunar New Year is celebrated on a variable date somewhere between late January and early February, determined by the appearance of the new moon. In China, where the holiday is also called Spring Festival, the holiday can be traced as far back as the Shang Dynasty (1600–1046 BC).

introduction year meaning

What are the origins of Lunar New Year?

It’s hard to know how people celebrated during the Shang Dynasty, but it is widely accepted that sacrificial gifts to gods and ancestors were involved. Similar practices continued through the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BC) when the term ‘Nian‘ first appears in historic records. Nian (年獸) is a lion-like beast, but the name also means ‘new year’, and many of the ways in which the new year is now celebrated can be traced back to stories about it.

According to folklore, Nian would rise from the sea each year to devour people and livestock. Fearful of becoming a tasty snack, people used to hide until one man made a life-changing observation: Nian, despite its sharp teeth and hearty appetite, was terrified of loud sounds and the colour red. It is for this reason that fireworks and the colour red feature so heavily in the celebration of Chinese New Year. Lion dances, often featuring loud noises, also mimic how Nian was driven back into the sea.

In the Han Dynasty (202 BC–AD 220), yearly celebrations became fixed to the beginning of the new lunar cycle. Ever since, the holiday has been celebrated according to a 12-moon cycle.

How is Lunar New Year celebrated?

Early celebrations emphasised the importance of family, and the tradition continues today. People give offerings to ancestors and gods, often in the form of food and money. These offerings are expected to ensure a good new year and might even involve a little bribery.

In some homes, the lips on images of the Kitchen God (灶君) are rubbed with honey before the new year. This is done so he only has sweet things to report to the Jade Emperor (玉皇) – the principal deity – about the family’s behaviour.

Homes and cities are also given a nice scrub and adorned with red lanterns and auspicious floral arrangements and decorations, all of which is meant to scare off Nian and usher in prosperity and good fortune for the new year.

Children and unmarried adults will enjoy more immediate fortune in the form of red packets filled with money. These red packets (紅包, hóngbāo) are given by parents, elders and employers to ensure safety and comfort in the new year. Denominations vary according to the relationship with the recipient. The practice has even modernised for the 21st century, with WeChat offering an option to purchase and distribute electronic packets.

introduction year meaning

Why do so many people travel for Lunar New Year?

In China, festivities for Lunar New Year last 15 days, each of which has a specific set of traditions. One such practice is a homecoming prior to the first day of the Lunar New Year. So many revellers return to hometowns for the holiday that it has been dubbed ‘ the world’s largest annual human migration’ .

The strain on China’s transport systems has steadily grown since the 1980s, when much of the country’s rural youth moved to larger cities for employment opportunities. Because homecoming and reconnecting with family members for the new year is so central to the holiday, train stations, airports and motorways are jammed during the season.

This isn’t much different from the travel westerners undertake during the Christmas season, but the sheer number of people who celebrate the holiday often elicits sensational headlines.

What is significant about Lunar New Year foods?

As everyone knows, going home to visit family often involves almost eating yourself into a food coma, and the new year is no exception. Though traditional foods vary from region to region – China boasts eight regional cuisines – many of the foods eaten for Lunar New Year find their place at the table for symbolic reasons.

Dishes with fish are a must for the new year table, because the name for fish (魚, yú) is a homophone for the word for abundance or surplus (余, yú). Eating fish is meant to ensure that abundance will carry into the new year.

Other dishes, like jiaozi (dumplings), are served in Northern China because of their appearance. Depending on the means of preparation, jiaozi can be made to look like silver ingots or gold bars, and eating them is meant to usher in wealth for the new year. Similarly, dried scallops are eaten because they look like Chinese coins.

introduction year meaning

What are the animals of the Chinese Zodiac?

Each Lunar New Year is aligned with one of the animals of the Chinese Zodiac. The order of the cycle – dictated by the results of a mythological race set by the Jade Emperor – is: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. People born in each of these years are understood to share traits associated with their zodiac animal. For example, 2019 marks the end of the 12-year lunar cycle with celebrations for the Year of the Pig. As people born in pig years are expected to have easy-going temperaments and uncomplicated lives, pig years often result in a baby boom .

Many countries in East and South East Asia also observe the importance of these animals, making the name ‘Chinese Zodiac’ a bit of a misnomer. While some of these countries share China’s traditions, Lunar New Year celebrations outside of China are distinctly different.

Which other countries celebrate Lunar New Year?

The holiday is celebrated across the Asia-Pacific region, and diaspora communities around the world mean that there are Lunar New Year festivities in most major cities around the world; London’s Chinese New Year parade boasts the largest festival outside of Asia.

Though the varied celebrations of Lunar New Year are often lumped together under the Chinese New Year moniker, many of these countries have their own name and celebrations for the holiday. In Korea, the Lunar New Year is observed as Seollal , Tết is celebrated in Vietnam – where the year of the cat is observed in place of the rabbit – and in Mongolia , the holiday is called Tsagaan Sar. In Japan, the holiday is no longer celebrated in conjunction with the lunar cycle, but on 1 January – a result of westernisation during the Meiji Empire .

Regardless of how or where it is celebrated, Lunar New Year is a time to reconnect with family, share gifts, eat (and drink) too much and enjoy the possibilities that the new year will bring.

landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

introduction year meaning

Guides & Tips

The best trips for visiting multiple unesco world heritage sites.

introduction year meaning

See the World's Most Iconic Skylines With Culture Trip

introduction year meaning

The Most Beautiful Sunrises on Earth You Can Experience With Culture Trip

introduction year meaning

Top Trips for Exploring Huge Countries

introduction year meaning

Top Tips for Travelling in China

introduction year meaning

The Most Fascinating Chinese Myths and Legends

introduction year meaning

See & Do

Travel after covid-19: how china is reopening its cultural attractions.

introduction year meaning

Robots Helping in the Fight Against Covid-19

introduction year meaning

The Hanfu Revival Movement: Fashion Trend or Political Statement?

introduction year meaning

Travel Bans Prompt Surge in People Learning New Languages

introduction year meaning

The Great Face Mask Debate Rages On Between Medical Experts

introduction year meaning

Toboggan Down the Great Wall of China

Winter sale offers on our trips, incredible savings.

introduction year meaning

  • Post ID: 588735
  • Sponsored? No
  • View Payload

Lunar New Year

Learn a little about the festivities, food, calendars, and colors of the Lunar New Year.

Social Studies, World History

Loading ...

Lunar New Year, often called the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year, is the most important holiday in China and Chinese communities around the world. It is not only celebrate in China. Vietnam, Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore also practice the Lunar New Year holiday. The two-week celebration includes family and friends, feasting and fireworks, parties and parades.

For more than 3,000 years, Lunar New Year was just what it sounds like—the beginning of a new year in the Chinese calendar. The historic Chinese calendar is a  lunisolar  calendar, meaning dates are determined by both the moon (lunar) and the sun (solar). Months begin with every  new moon , when the moon is not visible in the night sky. The new year starts on the new moon nearest the midpoint between the  winter solstice  and the spring  equinox , sometime between January 21 and February 20.

China officially adopted the  Gregorian calendar , used by the West, in 1912. In the late 20th century, however, the holiday was re-introduced as the “Spring Festival .”

Although there is rarely a set “program” for Lunar New Year celebrations, some days are associated with specific  rituals or festivities. Read through some highlights below. Use the questions in the Questions tab to understand the  significance  of some of the  sumptuous  foods associated with the Lunar New Year.

Before New Year

Prior  to the official start of the holiday, Chinese households are thoroughly cleaned. Cleaning  symbolizes ridding the household of the  previous  year’s bad luck and making the home welcoming to good luck in the coming year. (On the first several days of the  festival ,  tradition  holds that brooms be stored, so that the newly arrived good luck will not be swept away.)

The days or weeks leading up to Lunar New Year are also when communities begin to decorate with red: fresh red paint on the doors of businesses and homes, red paper cut-out decorations, red lanterns. Red is the color of joy and good fortune in Chinese cultures, and is most strongly associated with new year celebrations.

One of the traditional ways to begin celebrating the Lunar New Year is the “reunion dinner,” when families gather to celebrate hopes for the new year.

During the New Year Celebrations

How do you wish someone "happy new year" in Chinese? It depends on who you're talking to. In China, the official language is Mandarin.  Gong xi fa cai  is how Mandarin-speakers wish you a happy new year—literally "wishing you to be prosperous in the coming year." Many overseas Chinese communities speak Cantonese.  Gung hay fat choy  is how Cantonese speakers wish you a happy new year—literally "wishing you great happiness and prosperity."

Some of the most common celebrations during the Lunar New Year festival include parties,  firecrackers , and the famous lion dance familiar to Western audiences. During the first days of the Lunar New Year younger family members may begin receiving bright red envelopes full of money. These envelopes, known as hong bao  (Mandarin)or  lai see  (Cantonese), are traditionally given to unmarried adults and children.

The third day of the Lunar New Year is often quieter and more somber than those preceding it. It is considered bad luck to visit friends or family, or play host to visitors yourself. This day is usually reserved for honoring deceased relatives by visiting  graves or lighting incense or paper offerings in memory of loved ones.

Often times the seventh day of the Lunar New Year recognizes  renri  ,  the creation-day of human beings. To honor humanity’s connection to all living things.

The ninth day of Lunar New Year is recognized as the birthday of the Jade Emperor, the ruler of heaven in  Taoist  belief.

The beautiful Lantern Festival signals a close to the Lunar New Year festival. Paper lanterns light the way for lion dances and all-day parades and festivals. The bright lights of the Lantern Festival celebrate the first  full moon  after the Lunar New Year. The colorful lanterns, displayed outdoors as well as inside  temples , are associated with guiding lost souls’ home and were originally created by monks to honor Buddha.

Articles & Profiles

Media credits.

The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited.

Last Updated

January 29, 2024

User Permissions

For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. They will best know the preferred format. When you reach out to them, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource.

If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media.

Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service .

Interactives

Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives.

Related Resources

introduction

  • Vocabulary exercises help you to learn synonyms, collocations and idioms.
  • Intermediate and Advanced level grammar practice with progress tests.
  • Listening and pronunciation, exam preparation and more!

Image of cactus

Explore topics

  • Race relations

Chinese Zodiac

The Chinese zodiac, or Sheng Xiao ( 生肖 ), is a repeating 12-year cycle of animal signs and their ascribed attributes, based on the lunar calendar. In order, the zodiac animals are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig.

The Lunar New Year , or Spring Festival, marks the transition from one animal to the next—2023 is the year of the Rabbit , which began on Janurary 22nd, 2023, and ends on February 9th, 2024. February 10th, 2024 (Chinese New Year) will signal the start of the year of the Dragon .

Your birth year determines your Chinese zodiac sign, but it can get tricky, as the lunar calendar varies from the solar, or Gregorian, calendar.

Because the dates of Chinese New Year change every year, individuals born in January or February will need to pay special attention to their birth date in addition to their birth year.

The easiest way to figure out your zodiac sign it so use a calculator like the one below. Just enter your date of birth to find out your sign!

The 12 Zodiac Animals

If you already know your Chinese zodiac sign, or are curious to explore them all, select one from below to discover the personality traits, romantic compatibility, and what fortune 2024 will bring.

Chinese Zodiac Years

Since the Chinese zodiac cycle repeats every 12 years, it’s easy to figure out if it’s your year—just check if your age is a multiple of 12! Listed below are the 12 zodiac animals in order with accompanying years:

Ben Ming Nian (Zodiac Birth Year)

Maybe you think your zodiac year ( 本命年 / ben ming nian) will be lucky. It’s your year after all. However, it’s the total opposite.

It’s seen as a hurdle you have jump over. The way to protect yourself from evil spirits and bad fortune is to wear red underwear every day for the entire year. Even in modern times, it’s still treated as a real concern.

In some places, married men even have to be accompanied by their wives when they go out at night during their year!

Origins of the Chinese Zodiac

It is generally believed the origins of the Chinese zodiac are rooted in zoolatry, or animal worship, with the system dating back to the Qin dynasty, more than 2,000 years ago.

Legend has it that the Jade Emperor summoned all the animals to his palace in a “Great Race” (or possibly for a banquet), and the order in which they arrived determined the animal’s place in the zodiac.

With such a rich past, it’s little wonder the Chinese zodiac remains so popular throughout China and much of Asia. An integral part of everyday life, it’s used to determine your fortune for the year, marriage compatibility, career path, best times to have a baby, and so much more.

The Science Behind the Chinese Zodiac

How do Chinese astrologers know each zodiac’s personality, fortune and compatibility with others?

Below is some technical information you might be interested in.

Dì Zhī ( 地支 ), or Earthly Branches, were the original terms used for the years. These branches are also assigned to the hours of the day, based on solar time.

The animals were later added as mnemonics and categorized as either yīn ( 阴 ) or yáng ( 阳 ).

Ten Celestial Stems ( 天干 / tiān gān) pair with the Earthly Branches for a 60 year calendrical cycle. Then add in an element. These cycle through, but each zodiac also has a fixed element. This fixed element is what determines which sign you’re compatible with.

Twelve Earthly Branches: zi ( 子 ), chǒu ( 丑 ), yín ( 寅 ), mǎo ( 卯 ), chén ( 辰 ), sì ( 巳 ), wǔ ( 午 ), wèi ( 未 ), shēn ( 申 ), yǒu ( 酉 ), xū ( 戌 ), hài ( 亥 ).

Ten Celestial Stems: jiǎ ( 甲 ), yǐ ( 乙 ), bǐng ( 丙 ), ding ( 丁 ), wù ( 戊 ), jǐ ( 己 ), gēng ( 庚 ), xīn ( 辛 ), rén ( 壬 ), guǐ ( 癸 ).

Five elements: water ( 水 / shuǐ), wood ( 木 / mù), fire ( 火 / huǒ), earth ( 土 / tǔ), metal ( 金 / jīn).

A calendar of recent years with everything explained above would look like this:

Compatibility

There are six groups ( 六合 / liù hé) of most compatible pairs. They fit into each other like jigsaw pieces. These are the ones who support you in the background.

Four groups of trios ( 三合 / sān hé) are the next most compatible signs. Working in a team, they complement your skills.

Fortune and Personality of the 12 Zodiac Animals

As mentioned before, the Earthly Branches are also assigned to hours of the day. The animals, depending on what they did, became associated with that certain time. This is another explanation for the ordering of the animals. The following list include each zodiac’s time of day, culture, personality and compatibility.

Zodiac Year of the Rat

Rat (鼠 / Shǔ)

People born in the year of the Rat like saving and collecting. They never have hard times financially and live organized lives. If you receive a valuable gift from a Rat, know that he thinks highly of you, because he doesn’t usually like opening his wallet for others. Rats don’t look for praise and recognition. They are very sensitive and know when there is trouble. When they do take risks, they’re usually successful.

  • Science Rat is Yang, and its earthly branch is Zi.
  • Hours 23:00–01:00. Rats are at the height of their activity at this time and people began to associate rats with the Zi hour.
  • Folklore Rats steal food, which can be interpreted as the household being wealthy and having surpluses. Because of their fast reproduction rate, some also pray to rats for children.
  • Compatibility Best match: Ox Best group: Monkey , Dragon Incompatible: Horse

Zodiac Year of the Ox

Ox (牛 / Niu)

People born in the year of the Ox are hard workers and have a strong sense of responsibility. Even if they run into difficulty during work, they’ll persevere through. They aren’t very romantic, but are patient and would never force themselves onto someone who doesn’t like them. They are usually quiet and keep their emotions bottled up inside. It’s hard for others to understand them. When they do lose their temper, it’s like an explosion and can drive others away.

  • Science Ox is Yin, and its earthly branch is Chǒu.
  • Hours 01:00–03:00. This is when farmers would wake up to feed their oxen.
  • Folklore Whipping spring cattle (打春—dǎ chūn) was a ritual performed to begin a new year of hard work and good harvests. The ox’s stomach would be filled with five types of grains and scattered after the whipping to represent the sowing and harvest.
  • Compatibility Best match: Rat Best group: Snake , Rooster Incompatible: Goat

Zodiac Year of the Tiger

Tiger (虎 / Hǔ)

People born in the year of the Tiger are independent and have high self-esteem. They enjoy being the leader and protector of average people. They love justice and never back down in an argument. Recklessness is their biggest weakness, causing them to fail. However, they never truly fail. Tigers will always find a way to stand back up and succeed in the end.

  • Science Tiger is Yang, and its earthly branch is Yín.
  • Hours 03:00–05:00. Tigers are the most dangerous at night. Farmers would always be able to hear their frightening roars during this hour.
  • Folklore Tigers are the kings of all beasts. People believe that they are the guardians of children. In the past, infants were washed with water boiled with tiger bones to prevent diseases. Children also wear hats and shoes with tiger designs.
  • Compatibility Best match: Pig Best group: Horse , Dog Incompatible: Monkey

Zodiac Year of the Rabbit

Rabbit (兔 / Tù)

People born in the year of the Rabbit are gentle, quiet and polite. They are patient, intelligent and chic. Their sense of responsibility and attention to detail lead to great career success. They take love seriously as well, and would never fall for someone easily. If they find the right person, they’ll love them to the end of the world and back.

  • Science Rabbit is Yin, and its earthly branch is Mǎo.
  • Hours 05:00–07:00. At daybreak, rabbits would come out of their homes to feed on the dew.
  • Folklore The rabbit represents the moon. Rather than the man in the moon, the ancient Chinese believed that there was a rabbit in the moon.
  • Compatibility Best match: Dog Best group: Pig , Goat Incompatible: Rooster

Zodiac Year of the Dragon

Dragon (龙 / Lóng)

People born in the year of the Dragon have hearts full of adventure and romance. It’s hard for people to understand a Dragon’s mysterious personality. At the same time, they are indifferent to things the average person worries about. They may seem lazy, but once they decide to do something, they’ll be more ambitious and vigorous than anyone else.

  • Science Dragon is Yang, and its earthly branch is Chén.
  • Hours 07:00–09:00. This is the most common time for fog to appear. According to folklore, dragons ride the fog to come down to Earth.
  • Folklore Dragons are the most revered creature in Chinese culture and are used to represent royalty. Emperors were often seen as a dragon’s reincarnation. Paired with the phoenix, they also symbolize a happy marriage and harmony between yin and yang.
  • Compatibility Best match: Rooster Best group: Monkey , Rat Incompatible: Dog

Zodiac Year of the Snake

Snake (蛇 / Shé)

People born in the year of the Snake are idealists. On the outside, they may seem cold but, deep inside, they are warm and enthusiastic. Their desire of exclusive ownership is very fierce. It irks them if they can’t fully understand someone. Snakes are devoted and determined, but their worst enemy is laziness.

  • Science Snake is Yin, and its earthly branch is Sì.
  • Hours 09:00–11:00. After the fog has dissipated, snakes would come out to bask in the sun. When creating the character for sì (巳), it was written to look like a snake.
  • Folklore Snakes usually have a negative diction and are symbols of witchcraft. However, Nǚ Wā (女娲), the creator of the world in Chinese mythology, had a human’s head and a snake’s body.
  • Compatibility Best match: Monkey Best group: Rooster , Ox Incompatible: Pig

Zodiac Year of the Horse

Horse (马 / Mǎ)

People born in the year of the Horse are never one to surrender. They are always positive and energetic, pushing themselves forward. Their biggest desire is to have the freedom to do what they like and be able to express themselves. However, they also have various negative traits. Horses are bad at keeping secrets and lose interest quickly.

  • Science Horse is Yang, and its earthly branch is Wǔ.
  • Hours 11:00–13:00. When the sun is at its brightest moment, the horses would gallop and prance joyfully in the fields.
  • Folklore As the head of the six domestic animals, horses are crucial in transportation and war. They represent speed and freedom. Many Northern ethnicities, such as the Mongolians and Manchurians, revere and worship the horse.
  • Compatibility Best match: Goat Best group: Tiger , Dog Incompatible: Rat

Zodiac Year of the Goat

Goat (羊 / Yang)

People born in the year of the Goat have a pure and kind heart. They’d rather suffer silently than argue and ruin someone else’s mood. However, even in silence, they still hold onto their own opinion. In regards to their passions, they will do anything possible to fulfill their wishes. Though kind, Goats have tricks up their sleeves as well. They are skilled at using soft power, able to patiently and politely persuade others into their favor.

  • Science Goat is Yin, and its earthly branch is Wèi.
  • Hours 13:00–15:00. At this time, the dew on the grass would be dried by the sun. This is the best hour to let the goats and sheep out.
  • Folklore Xiè Zhì (獬豸) is a mythological one-horned goat. It was the assistant of Gāo Yáo (皋陶), god of Justice. The Goat is also the symbol of filial piety.
  • Compatibility Best match: Horse Best group: Pig , Rabbit Incompatible: Ox

Zodiac Year of the Monkey

Monkey (猴 / Hóu)

People born in the year of the Monkey do things based on interest. If it’s something they don’t quite care for, they’ll do the work sloppily. If it something they’re interested in, they’ll put their entire heart into it and work until they succeed. They live a long life full of energy and curiosity for the world. Monkeys also value relationships. However, spoiling children may be their weakness.

  • Science Monkey is Yang, and its earthly branch is Shēn.
  • Hours 15:00–17:00. The weather is much cooler with the sun setting and the monkeys would play around in the forest.
  • Folklore There are multiple legends about the Monkey as humans’ ancestor. Monkeys also like eating peaches. Peaches are symbols of longevity and, with time, monkeys also became associated with long life.
  • Compatibility Best match: Snake Best group: Rat , Dragon Incompatible: Tiger

Zodiac Year of the Rooster

Rooster (鸡 / Jī)

People born in the year of the Rooster are able to sense what the other person is thinking or feeling. They have quick reactions and high EQ. They make great friends, although some are cunning. Roosters are creative and talented in the arts, although few find a career in that field. They have foresight and plan everything carefully.

  • Science Rooster is Yin, and its earthly branch is Yǒu.
  • Hours 17:00–19:00. The character for yǒu (酉) looks similar to wine (酒—jiǔ), and evening is the time for dinner and wine. It is also time to collect the roosters and hens and put them back in their nests, else it’ll be too dark to find them.
  • Folklore According to legends, roosters are able to protect against evil spirits. In ancient times, sworn brothers must swear to the heavens, then drip rooster blood into wine and drink it all.
  • Compatibility Best match: Dragon Best group: Snake , Ox Incompatible: Rabbit

Zodiac Year of the Dog

Dog (狗 / Gǒu)

People born in the year of the Dog are conservative and full of justice. Because of their loyalty, Dogs are valued in the workplace. They rarely break rules, except for people important to them. In life, they only wish to live quietly with their family.

  • Science Dog is Yang, and its earthly branch is Xū.
  • Hours 19:00–21:00. Before sleeping, the people must patrol around for a check. Trailing behind them is the dog, humanity’s little helper.
  • Folklore In the Qin and Han dynasty, the Stone Dog was worshipped by the people. In the Guangdong province, it is still popular to name dogs Wàng Cái (旺财). It means “prosperous wealth” and comes from dogs’ barking sounds (旺旺—wàng wàng).
  • Compatibility Best match: Rabbit Best group: Tiger , Horse Incompatible: Dragon

Zodiac Year of the Pig

Pig (猪 / Zhū)

People born in the year of the Pig think logically and are able to fix whatever problem they’re in. They aren’t good communicators, but they’re kind and able to provide for the family. Most of them are wealthy. Their only obvious fault is that they lose their temper easily.

  • Science Pig is Yin, and its earthly branch is Hài.
  • Hours 21:00–23:00. At night, the pig can be heard rustling around. In order to fatten it up, the farmer must feed before calling it a day.
  • Folklore Pigs are the symbol of wealth. Their chubby faces and big ears are signs of fortune as well.
  • Compatibility Best match: Tiger Best group: Rabbit , Goat Incompatible: Snake

Cambridge Dictionary

  • Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Meaning of introduction in English

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

introduction noun ( PUT INTO USE )

  • The introduction of identity cards has been opposed by the campaign for civil liberties .
  • Company profits have doubled since the introduction of new technology .
  • In the 1960s hemlines suddenly shot up with the introduction of the miniskirt .
  • The introduction of new charges has angered customers .
  • The minister has called for the introduction of harsher sentences for speeding offences .
  • a baptism of/by fire idiom
  • commencement
  • jumping-off point
  • starting time
  • the thin end of the wedge idiom

introduction noun ( GIVING SB'S NAME )

  • build (someone/something) up
  • curtain-raiser
  • introductory
  • lead up to something
  • open the door to something idiom
  • preliminarily
  • preliminary
  • reintroduce

introduction noun ( BEGINNING )

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

introduction noun ( FIRST EXPERIENCE )

  • at first blush idiom
  • at first idiom
  • first come, first served idiom
  • from the word go idiom
  • in the first/second place idiom
  • prototypical
  • to begin with idiom
  • trailblazing

introduction noun ( BASIC KNOWLEDGE )

  • exercise book
  • novelistically
  • young adult

introduction | American Dictionary

Introduction noun ( speech ), introduction noun ( formal meeting ), introduction noun ( first use ), introduction | business english, examples of introduction, collocations with introduction, introduction.

These are words often used in combination with introduction .

Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.

Translations of introduction

Get a quick, free translation!

{{randomImageQuizHook.quizId}}

Word of the Day

the act of driving too closely behind the vehicle in front

Infinitive or -ing verb? Avoiding common mistakes with verb patterns (1)

Infinitive or -ing verb? Avoiding common mistakes with verb patterns (1)

introduction year meaning

Learn more with +Plus

  • Recent and Recommended {{#preferredDictionaries}} {{name}} {{/preferredDictionaries}}
  • Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English English Learner’s Dictionary Essential British English Essential American English
  • Grammar and thesaurus Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English Grammar Thesaurus
  • Pronunciation British and American pronunciations with audio English Pronunciation
  • English–Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Simplified)–English
  • English–Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Traditional)–English
  • English–Dutch Dutch–English
  • English–French French–English
  • English–German German–English
  • English–Indonesian Indonesian–English
  • English–Italian Italian–English
  • English–Japanese Japanese–English
  • English–Norwegian Norwegian–English
  • English–Polish Polish–English
  • English–Portuguese Portuguese–English
  • English–Spanish Spanish–English
  • English–Swedish Swedish–English
  • Dictionary +Plus Word Lists
  • introduction (PUT INTO USE)
  • introduction (GIVING SB'S NAME)
  • introduction (BEGINNING)
  • introduction (FIRST EXPERIENCE)
  • introduction (BASIC KNOWLEDGE)
  • introduction (SPEECH)
  • introduction (FORMAL MEETING)
  • introduction (FIRST USE)
  • Business    Noun
  • Collocations
  • Translations
  • All translations

Add introduction to one of your lists below, or create a new one.

{{message}}

Something went wrong.

There was a problem sending your report.

introduction year meaning

  • History Classics
  • Your Profile
  • Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window)
  • Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window)
  • Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window)
  • Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window)
  • Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window)
  • This Day In History
  • History Podcasts
  • History Vault

Lunar New Year 2024

By: History.com Editors

Updated: February 9, 2024 | Original: February 4, 2010

A lit-up dragon lantern at a Chinese New Year Spring Festival celebration in Xi'an, China.

Lunar New Year is one of the most important celebrations of the year among East and Southeast Asian cultures, including Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean communities, among others. The New Year celebration is celebrated for multiple days—not just one day as in the Gregorian calendar’s New Year.

This Lunar New Year, which begins on February 10, is the Year of the Dragon.

China’s Lunar New Year is known as the Spring Festival or Chūnjié in Mandarin, while Koreans call it Seollal and Vietnamese refer to it as Tết .

Tied to the lunar calendar, the holiday began as a time for feasting and to honor household and heavenly deities, as well as ancestors. The New Year typically begins with the first new moon that occurs between the end of January and spans the first 15 days of the first month of the lunar calendar—until the full moon arrives.

Zodiac Animals

Each year in the Lunar calendar is represented by one of 12 zodiac animals included in the cycle of 12 stations or “signs” along the apparent path of the sun through the cosmos. 

The 12 zodiac animals are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. In addition to the animals, five elements of earth, water, fire, wood and metal are also mapped onto the traditional lunar calendar. Each year is associated with an animal that corresponds to an element.

The year 2024 is slated to be the year of the dragon—an auspicious symbol of power, wisdom and good fortune. The year of the dragon last came up in 2012.

Lunar New Year Foods and Traditions

Each culture celebrates the Lunar New Year differently with various foods and traditions that symbolize prosperity, abundance and togetherness. In preparation for the Lunar New Year, houses are thoroughly cleaned to rid them of inauspicious spirits, which might have collected during the old year. Cleaning is also meant to open space for good will and good luck.

Some households hold rituals to offer food and paper icons to ancestors. Others post red paper and banners inscribed with calligraphy messages of good health and fortune in front of, and inside, homes. Elders give out envelopes containing money to children. Foods made from glutinous rice are commonly eaten, as these foods represent togetherness. Other foods symbolize prosperity, abundance and good luck.

Chinese New Year is thought to date back to the Shang Dynasty in the 14th century B.C. Under Emperor Wu of Han (140–87 B.C.), the tradition of carrying out rituals on the first day of the Chinese calendar year began. 

“This holiday has ancient roots in China as an agricultural society. It was the occasion to celebrate the harvest and worship the gods and ask for good harvests in times to come," explains Yong Chen, a scholar in Asian American Studies. 

During the Cultural Revolution in 1967, official Chinese New Year celebrations were banned in China. But Chinese leaders became more willing to accept the tradition. In 1996, China instituted a weeklong vacation during the holiday—now officially called Spring Festival—giving people the opportunity to travel home and to celebrate the new year. 

Did you know? San Francisco, California, claims its Chinese New Year parade is the biggest celebration of its kind outside of Asia. The city has hosted a Chinese New Year celebration since the Gold Rush era of the 1860s, a period of large-scale Chinese immigration to the region.

Today, the holiday prompts major travel as hundreds of millions hit the roads or take public transportation to return home to be with family.

Among Chinese cultures, fish is typically included as a last course of a New Year’s Eve meal for good luck. In the Chinese language, the pronunciation of “fish” is the same as that for the word “surplus” or “abundance.” Chinese New Year’s meals also feature foods like glutinous rice ball soup, moon-shaped rice cakes (New Year’s cake) and dumplings ( Jiǎozi in Mandarin). Sometimes, a clean coin is tucked inside a dumpling for good luck.

The holiday concludes with the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated on the last day of New Year's festivities. Parades, dances, games and fireworks mark the finale of the holiday.

In Vietnamese celebrations of the holiday, homes are decorated with kumquat trees and flowers such as peach blossoms, chrysanthemums, orchids and red gladiolas. As in China, travel is heavy during the holiday as family members gather to mark the new year.

Families feast on five-fruit platters to honor their ancestors. Tết celebrations can also include bánh chưng , a rice cake made with mung beans, pork, and other ingredients wrapped in bamboo leaves. Snacks called  mứt tết   are commonly offered to guests. These sweet bites are made from dried fruits or roasted seeds mixed with sugar.

In Korea, official Lunar New Year celebrations were halted from 1910-1945. This was when the Empire of Japan annexed Korea and ruled it as a colony until the end of World War II . Celebrations of Seollal were officially revived in 1989, although many families had already begun observing the lunar holiday. North Korea began celebrating the Lunar New Year according to the lunar calendar in 2003. Before then, New Year's was officially only observed on January 1. North Koreans are also encouraged to visit statues of founder Kim Il Sung, and his son Kim Jong Il, during the holidays and provide an offering of flowers.

Among both North and South Koreans, sliced rice cake soup ( tteokguk ) is prepared to mark the Lunar New Year holiday. The clear broth and white rice cakes of tteokguk are believed to symbolize starting the year with a clean mind and body. Rather than giving money in red envelopes, as in China and Vietnam, elders give New Year's money in white and patterned envelopes.

Traditionally, families gather from all over Korea at the house of their oldest male relative to pay their respects to both ancestors and elders. Travel is less common in North Korea and families tend to mark the holiday at home. 

Lunar New Year Greetings

Cultures celebrating Lunar New Year have different ways of greeting each other during the holiday. In Mandarin, a common way to wish family and close friends a happy New Year is “ Xīnnián hǎo ,” meaning “New Year Goodness” or “Good New Year.” Another greeting is “ Xīnnián kuàilè, ” meaning "Happy New Year."

Traditional greetings during Tết in Vietnam are “Chúc Mừng Năm Mới” (Happy New Year) and “Cung Chúc Tân Xuân” (gracious wishes of the new spring). For Seollal, South Koreans commonly say "Saehae bok mani badeuseyo” (May you receive lots of luck in the new year), while North Koreans say "Saehaereul chuckhahabnida” (Congratulations on the new year).

— huiying b. chan , Research and Policy Analyst on the Education Justice Research and Organizing Collaborative team at the New York University Metro Center, edited this report.

"Lunar New Year origins, customs explained," by Laura Rico,  University of California, Irvine , February 19, 2015.

"Everything you need to know about Vietnamese Tết," Vietnam Insider , December 3, 2020.

"Seollal, Korean Lunar New Year," by Brendan Pickering,  Asia Society . 

"The Origin of Chinese New Year," by Haiwang Yuan, Western Kentucky University TopSCHOLAR , February 1, 2016.

"The Lunar New Year: Rituals and Legends," Asia for Educators .

introduction year meaning

Sign up for Inside History

Get HISTORY’s most fascinating stories delivered to your inbox three times a week.

By submitting your information, you agree to receive emails from HISTORY and A+E Networks. You can opt out at any time. You must be 16 years or older and a resident of the United States.

More details : Privacy Notice | Terms of Use | Contact Us

2024 is a Leap Year, but what does that mean? Here's the story behind Feb. 29

introduction year meaning

February 29 only comes around once every four years, but does anyone really know why?

This year we have the privilege of 366 days, but what's the story behind Leap Day?

What is Leap Day?

Leap Day is the extra day we get every four years on Feb. 29.

During Leap Years, there are 366 days in the calendar cycle as opposed to 365, with the extra day tacked onto February, the shortest month.

Why do we have Leap Day?

The Leap Year rules were originated in the Julian Calendar , established in 46 BC by Julius Caeser, but the system wasn't perfect.

Leap day exists to even out time discrepancies between the calendar year and the solar year. While it's widely accepted that a calendar year has 365 days, it takes Earth about 365.242 days to orbit the sun.

The Julian Calendar rounded this number up to 365.25 days.

To avoid any major changes or regressions in the relationship between the calendar dates and the seasons, Leap Days were added every four years to even out the cycle.

However, the inaccuracy in averaging the orbital years caused regressions anyway, and the calendar dates and seasons ended up off-kilter by about one day per century.

What are Leap Year exemptions?

During Pope Gregory XIII's rule, the Gregorian Calendar was put into effect to essentially recalibrate the calendar and astronomical years, based on the March 21 vernal equinox.

In 1582 the calendar saw a 10-day jump, going from Oct. 4 to the next date being ruled Oct. 15 to reset the regressions caused by the previous Julian Calendar.

When was the last time we skipped a Leap Day?

Leap Years still occur every four years in the Gregorian Calendar, which is widely practiced now, but Pope Gregory instilled various exemptions to the rule to avoid any further disparities.

For example, any year that is evenly divisible by 4,000 is automatically a common year, and century years are only considered leap years if they can be evenly divided by 400.

Therefore, the next time we skip a leap day will be in the year 2100. And the last time — the year 1900.

Kaitlyn McCormick writes about trending issues and community news across South Jersey for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and the Burlington County Times. If you have a story she should tell, email her at [email protected]. And subscribe to stay up to date on the news you need.

More: The holiday season has passed, but what other big dates are on the calendar?

More: Space meant to hold Moorestown Mall’s gaming, entertainment venue soon to be vacated

More: Now you can cruise alongside the battleship during its historic dry dock departure

Our next-generation model: Gemini 1.5

Feb 15, 2024

The model delivers dramatically enhanced performance, with a breakthrough in long-context understanding across modalities.

SundarPichai_2x.jpg

A note from Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai:

Last week, we rolled out our most capable model, Gemini 1.0 Ultra, and took a significant step forward in making Google products more helpful, starting with Gemini Advanced . Today, developers and Cloud customers can begin building with 1.0 Ultra too — with our Gemini API in AI Studio and in Vertex AI .

Our teams continue pushing the frontiers of our latest models with safety at the core. They are making rapid progress. In fact, we’re ready to introduce the next generation: Gemini 1.5. It shows dramatic improvements across a number of dimensions and 1.5 Pro achieves comparable quality to 1.0 Ultra, while using less compute.

This new generation also delivers a breakthrough in long-context understanding. We’ve been able to significantly increase the amount of information our models can process — running up to 1 million tokens consistently, achieving the longest context window of any large-scale foundation model yet.

Longer context windows show us the promise of what is possible. They will enable entirely new capabilities and help developers build much more useful models and applications. We’re excited to offer a limited preview of this experimental feature to developers and enterprise customers. Demis shares more on capabilities, safety and availability below.

Introducing Gemini 1.5

By Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, on behalf of the Gemini team

This is an exciting time for AI. New advances in the field have the potential to make AI more helpful for billions of people over the coming years. Since introducing Gemini 1.0 , we’ve been testing, refining and enhancing its capabilities.

Today, we’re announcing our next-generation model: Gemini 1.5.

Gemini 1.5 delivers dramatically enhanced performance. It represents a step change in our approach, building upon research and engineering innovations across nearly every part of our foundation model development and infrastructure. This includes making Gemini 1.5 more efficient to train and serve, with a new Mixture-of-Experts (MoE) architecture.

The first Gemini 1.5 model we’re releasing for early testing is Gemini 1.5 Pro. It’s a mid-size multimodal model, optimized for scaling across a wide-range of tasks, and performs at a similar level to 1.0 Ultra , our largest model to date. It also introduces a breakthrough experimental feature in long-context understanding.

Gemini 1.5 Pro comes with a standard 128,000 token context window. But starting today, a limited group of developers and enterprise customers can try it with a context window of up to 1 million tokens via AI Studio and Vertex AI in private preview.

As we roll out the full 1 million token context window, we’re actively working on optimizations to improve latency, reduce computational requirements and enhance the user experience. We’re excited for people to try this breakthrough capability, and we share more details on future availability below.

These continued advances in our next-generation models will open up new possibilities for people, developers and enterprises to create, discover and build using AI.

Context lengths of leading foundation models

Highly efficient architecture

Gemini 1.5 is built upon our leading research on Transformer and MoE architecture. While a traditional Transformer functions as one large neural network, MoE models are divided into smaller "expert” neural networks.

Depending on the type of input given, MoE models learn to selectively activate only the most relevant expert pathways in its neural network. This specialization massively enhances the model’s efficiency. Google has been an early adopter and pioneer of the MoE technique for deep learning through research such as Sparsely-Gated MoE , GShard-Transformer , Switch-Transformer, M4 and more.

Our latest innovations in model architecture allow Gemini 1.5 to learn complex tasks more quickly and maintain quality, while being more efficient to train and serve. These efficiencies are helping our teams iterate, train and deliver more advanced versions of Gemini faster than ever before, and we’re working on further optimizations.

Greater context, more helpful capabilities

An AI model’s “context window” is made up of tokens, which are the building blocks used for processing information. Tokens can be entire parts or subsections of words, images, videos, audio or code. The bigger a model’s context window, the more information it can take in and process in a given prompt — making its output more consistent, relevant and useful.

Through a series of machine learning innovations, we’ve increased 1.5 Pro’s context window capacity far beyond the original 32,000 tokens for Gemini 1.0. We can now run up to 1 million tokens in production.

This means 1.5 Pro can process vast amounts of information in one go — including 1 hour of video, 11 hours of audio, codebases with over 30,000 lines of code or over 700,000 words. In our research, we’ve also successfully tested up to 10 million tokens.

Complex reasoning about vast amounts of information

1.5 Pro can seamlessly analyze, classify and summarize large amounts of content within a given prompt. For example, when given the 402-page transcripts from Apollo 11’s mission to the moon, it can reason about conversations, events and details found across the document.

Reasoning across a 402-page transcript: Gemini 1.5 Pro Demo

Gemini 1.5 Pro can understand, reason about and identify curious details in the 402-page transcripts from Apollo 11’s mission to the moon.

Better understanding and reasoning across modalities

1.5 Pro can perform highly-sophisticated understanding and reasoning tasks for different modalities, including video. For instance, when given a 44-minute silent Buster Keaton movie , the model can accurately analyze various plot points and events, and even reason about small details in the movie that could easily be missed.

Multimodal prompting with a 44-minute movie: Gemini 1.5 Pro Demo

Gemini 1.5 Pro can identify a scene in a 44-minute silent Buster Keaton movie when given a simple line drawing as reference material for a real-life object.

Relevant problem-solving with longer blocks of code

1.5 Pro can perform more relevant problem-solving tasks across longer blocks of code. When given a prompt with more than 100,000 lines of code, it can better reason across examples, suggest helpful modifications and give explanations about how different parts of the code works.

Problem solving across 100,633 lines of code | Gemini 1.5 Pro Demo

Gemini 1.5 Pro can reason across 100,000 lines of code giving helpful solutions, modifications and explanations.

Enhanced performance

When tested on a comprehensive panel of text, code, image, audio and video evaluations, 1.5 Pro outperforms 1.0 Pro on 87% of the benchmarks used for developing our large language models (LLMs). And when compared to 1.0 Ultra on the same benchmarks, it performs at a broadly similar level.

Gemini 1.5 Pro maintains high levels of performance even as its context window increases. In the Needle In A Haystack (NIAH) evaluation, where a small piece of text containing a particular fact or statement is purposely placed within a long block of text, 1.5 Pro found the embedded text 99% of the time, in blocks of data as long as 1 million tokens.

Gemini 1.5 Pro also shows impressive “in-context learning” skills, meaning that it can learn a new skill from information given in a long prompt, without needing additional fine-tuning. We tested this skill on the Machine Translation from One Book (MTOB) benchmark, which shows how well the model learns from information it’s never seen before. When given a grammar manual for Kalamang , a language with fewer than 200 speakers worldwide, the model learns to translate English to Kalamang at a similar level to a person learning from the same content.

As 1.5 Pro’s long context window is the first of its kind among large-scale models, we’re continuously developing new evaluations and benchmarks for testing its novel capabilities.

For more details, see our Gemini 1.5 Pro technical report .

Extensive ethics and safety testing

In line with our AI Principles and robust safety policies, we’re ensuring our models undergo extensive ethics and safety tests. We then integrate these research learnings into our governance processes and model development and evaluations to continuously improve our AI systems.

Since introducing 1.0 Ultra in December, our teams have continued refining the model, making it safer for a wider release. We’ve also conducted novel research on safety risks and developed red-teaming techniques to test for a range of potential harms.

In advance of releasing 1.5 Pro, we've taken the same approach to responsible deployment as we did for our Gemini 1.0 models, conducting extensive evaluations across areas including content safety and representational harms, and will continue to expand this testing. Beyond this, we’re developing further tests that account for the novel long-context capabilities of 1.5 Pro.

Build and experiment with Gemini models

We’re committed to bringing each new generation of Gemini models to billions of people, developers and enterprises around the world responsibly.

Starting today, we’re offering a limited preview of 1.5 Pro to developers and enterprise customers via AI Studio and Vertex AI . Read more about this on our Google for Developers blog and Google Cloud blog .

We’ll introduce 1.5 Pro with a standard 128,000 token context window when the model is ready for a wider release. Coming soon, we plan to introduce pricing tiers that start at the standard 128,000 context window and scale up to 1 million tokens, as we improve the model.

Early testers can try the 1 million token context window at no cost during the testing period, though they should expect longer latency times with this experimental feature. Significant improvements in speed are also on the horizon.

Developers interested in testing 1.5 Pro can sign up now in AI Studio, while enterprise customers can reach out to their Vertex AI account team.

Learn more about Gemini’s capabilities and see how it works .

Get more stories from Google in your inbox.

Your information will be used in accordance with Google's privacy policy.

Done. Just one step more.

Check your inbox to confirm your subscription.

You are already subscribed to our newsletter.

You can also subscribe with a different email address .

Related stories

Gemini models are coming to performance max.

gemma-header

Gemma: Introducing new state-of-the-art open models

What is a long context window.

MSC_Keyword_Cover (3)

How AI can strengthen digital security

Shield

Working together to address AI risks and opportunities at MSC

AI Evergreen 1 (1)

How we’re partnering with the industry, governments and civil society to advance AI

Let’s stay in touch. Get the latest news from Google in your inbox.

introduction year meaning

Japanese History & Culture

Celebrating Oshogatsu: An Introduction to Japanese New Year Traditions

While most of the world typically celebrates the New Year with fireworks and Champagne, Japan's long-held end-of-year family traditions still hold strong.

December 18, 2020 Updated On December 14, 2022

Related Posts

The history of white day in japan, things to know about yamaguchi | list of 7, himeji's living heritage, why is japanese fruit so expensive, 3 authentic japanese products we discovered at the feel japan event 2023.

Surrounded by friends and usually with a drink in hand, much of the world celebrates the New Year by counting down to midnight and watching the sky burst into a dazzling fireworks display. In Japan, however, things are very different. Rich with ancient traditions and customs, Oshogatsu (the New Year period) is one of the most important holidays of the year.

Preparing for the End of the Year

On January 1, every household is believed to be visited by Toshigami, a god that brings good luck for the New Year. In preparation for this special occasion, there is a whole checklist of things that need to be done.

The first task to complete is osoji . From December 13, people begin a meticulous cleaning of their house, work place, school and neighborhood. They scrub the floors, dust the tops of shelves and get rid of clutter, making the space completely spotless. This custom originated as a purification ritual that symbolized cleaning not only one’s house, but mind and soul out of respect for the New Year deities.

Once the cleaning has been done, people shift their focus to others. Nengajo is a New Year greeting postcard sent to relatives, friends, colleagues and other acquaintances, thanking them for their kindness over the past year and wishing them well for the coming year.

The origins of nengajo are believed to date back 1,000 years, when people in the Heian Period would send New Year letters to let others know they were alive and well. These days, Japan Post hires thousands of temporary staff to ensure the millions of cards all reach the recipients’ hands on January 1. Despite the declining tradition, this year again, many people are looking into sending nengajo to old friends and relatives to check on them.

introduction year meaning

Oshogatsu kazari

Welcome Good Fortune

As the last day of the year draws close, people put up oshogatsu kazari (New Year decorations)). Made of bamboo, pine and straw, these New Year decorations are hung on the front door of houses or set up at shop entrances to welcome Toshigami and ward off evil spirits. Inside, people display kagami moch i, a two-tiered circular rice cake topped with an orange or mikan mandarin, as well as ornaments that represent the Chinese zodiac animal for the coming year — for 2023, this is a rabbit.

December 31 is called Omisoka. By now, all of the New Year preparations have been finished and people are finally able to relax and spend quality time with their family. It’s customary to eat toshikoshi soba , a special dish made of extra-long buckwheat noodles that symbolize a long life, strength and resilience.

Just before the clock strikes midnight, Buddhist temples carry out the ritual of ringing their bell 108 times. This custom, called joyanokane , cleanses us of the 108 worldly desires that may have built up over the past year and marks the official beginning of the New Year.

introduction year meaning

Welcoming the New Year

In Japanese, people say “akemashite omedetogozaimasu” to wish each other a happy New Year. The first day of the year often starts with hatsuhinode , witnessing the first sunrise. It’s believed this is the moment when Toshigami arrives. In Tokyo, people flock to observation decks like Tokyo Tower or mountaintops like Mount Takao to see the sun come up.

Between January 1 and 3, people partake in hatsumode , the first shrine visit of the year. This is a massive event, and popular shrines like Meiji Jingu see millions of visitors within those three days who come to pray for health, happiness and prosperity. At the shrine, it’s common to purchase New Year luck charms such as daruma dolls and hamaya arrows, and sip on a warm, sweet drink called amazake. During the peaks of Covid-19 people were be discouraged to visit shrines en masse. However, one can still visit a less-crowded shrine in their neighborhood or at the very least avoid going to major venues like the Meiji Shrine during the first days of the new year.

introduction year meaning

Osechi ryori

Let the Good Times Roll

After hatsumode, back at home, families feast on osechi ryori , a gorgeous box consisting of various dishes each with a different meaning. For example, kuromame (sweet black beans) represents good health and kamaboko (fish cake) symbolizes purity.

introduction year meaning

Children are gifted with otoshidama , an envelope with money. They also fly traditional kites called takoage and play karuta , a traditional card game. During the New Year period, many people also love to hit the shops to get their hands on a fukubukuro , mystery bags full of goods sold at a discounted price.

Oshogatsu celebrations start to wrap up around January 4, and people return to their regular routine with a sense of renewal and an eagerness to fulfil new goals over the next 12 months. Let’s hope that 2023 will be a better year than 2022.

How will you be celebrating this year’s holidays? And which of these Japanese traditions do you follow? Let us know in the comments. 

This article was updated in December 2022.

introduction year meaning

The History of Valentine's Day in Japan

Okoi Geisha

The Story of Okoi: Modern Japan’s Most Famous Geisha

crown prince hirohito marries princess nagako on this day

Crown Prince Hirohito Marries Princess Nagako | On This Day in Japan

ainu music singers

An Interview with Ankes: Indigenous Ainu Music Performers

introduction year meaning

Totsukawa Village: A Fairytale World Hidden in the Mountains

wellness tourism nagano

Experience the Future of Wellness Tourism in Nagano

Tokyo Sightseeing Taxis

Tokyo Sightseeing Taxi: Touring the City in a Variety of Routes

introduction year meaning

The Blossom Kyoto: A Traveler's Paradise in the Heart of the Ancient Capital

CCT Logo

  • China Tours
  • Tailor-made

introduction year meaning

+86 015977325784 [email protected] Mon-Fri 9am - 6pm China Time

  • Destinations
  • Seniors Pace
  • World Heritage
  • Zhangjiajie
  • Inner Mongolia
  • Plan My Asia Trip

Chinese New Year

Traditional Chinese New Year - Chun Jie

Nora Zheng

  • 01. Step 1: Where to go in China
  • 02. Step 2: When to go in China
  • 03. Step 3: How to Visit Tibet in 2021 — Suggestions and
  • Names: Spring Festival
  • Chinese : 春节 / chūn jié
  • When : end of January or beginning of February
  • Activities : Pasting couplets, staying up all night to see the new year in, Bainian (pay a New Year call), lucky money, sacrifices, lion dance, dragon dance, etc.
  • Holiday : 7 days,
  • Travel tips : The Spring Festival is a good time to experience traditional Chinese culture, and it is also the peak time for tourism. Many people choose to celebrate the Spring Festival while traveling. Most southerners like to travel by car. Therefore, hotel prices in southern cities will rise during the Spring Festival, which is similar to the Mid-Autumn Festival .

Introduction to Traditional Chinese New Year

Chinese Spring Festival

The Chinese New Year, also called Spring Festival, is the most important and widely celebrated festival of all in China. It is celebrated from the 1st day of the 1st lunar month to the 15th day of the 1st lunar month. The final (15th) day is called Lantern Festival, and the night before the 1st day is called Chinese New Year's Eve (Chuxi in Chinese pinyin). This is a time for family reunions, visiting relatives and friends and exchanging greetings for the coming New Year. It is also a time to ring out the old and ring in the new. The Chinese New Year can also be called "Guonian" which means the passing of the old year to the new one. This festival emphasizes the importance of family ties. The dinner gathering on Chinese New Year's Eve is the most important family occasion of the year.

Lunar New Year Calendar and holiday

The traditional Chinese New Year holiday is 7 days, starting from the first day of New Year's Eve to the seventh day, with work starting on the eighth day. If you love Chinese New Year culture, this is the best time to visit China.

Zodiac Calendar

Note : The tiger is followed by the rabbit, and the cycle continues.

  • Avoid the busiest China holidays while planning your China travel

The Origin of Chinese New Year

Chinese Spring Festival

There are several versions of the origin of the Chinese New Year. The most widely heard one is that there was a mythical beast called "Nian" which means "year" in Chinese. Nian always came on the first day of New Year to prey on livestock, crops, and even people. In order to protect themselves, people started putting food in front of their doors at the beginning of every New Year, as they believed that after Nian ate the food prepared for him, he wouldn't eat any of their crops and people. Coincidentally, some people once saw that Nian was scared away by the red clothes worn by a child so they concluded that Nian was afraid of the color red. Therefore, in preparation for the New Year, people began buying new red clothes. Also, they hung red lanterns and red spring couplets on doors and windows. They also lit firecrackers to scare Nian away. From then on, Nian never came back again.

This tradition has been handed down through generations. People still buy many red items in preparation for the New Year: red clothes, red lanterns, red paper cuttings, red spring couplets, red fireworks and firecrackers, and all manner of red objects. So now you know that people don't just feel the color red is exciting or festive, they have a reason to do that!

Related cultural activities you may like

  • Learn traditional Chinese calligraphy in Xi'an >>

Symbolic Cuisines of Chinese New Year

Chinese Dumpling

On Chinese New Year's Eve, members of the family, big or small, near or far away, gather for a "reunion dinner". The most common dishes for this dinner are chicken and fish. There are many symbolic foods prepared for the New Year. For example, the fish, "yu" in Chinese pinyin, signifies that there should always be surpluses. Commonly in northern China, "Jiaozi" (dumplings) are made, symbolizing the luck that is wrapped inside. In eastern China, "Nian gao" (Chinese New Year Pudding) is prepared, symbolizing a more prosperous year. People also buy melon seeds, candy, and other seeds.

  • Make dumplings in a local home >>

Top Common Practices of Chinese New Year

A few days before the New Year, every corner of the house must be swept and cleaned. This is to wipe away the old and evil spirits. Then, on the eve of the New Year, decorations like red paper cuttings , lanterns, or spring couplets are put up. Written in black ink on large vertical scrolls of red paper, spring couplets are put up on the sides of doors, windows, or other gateways. The couplets are mainly short poems written in classical Chinese, which express good wishes for the family in the coming New Year.

No. 1: Prepare New Year's goods

Prepare New Year's goods

China's New Year custom culture has a long history, and various New Year customs have been derived from all over the country, which is very different from the north to the south, and each has its own characteristics. Although the customs vary from place to place, preparing New Year's goods and giving New Year's gifts are "must-haves" for New Year's Eve almost all over the country. Buying New Year’s goods, including food , clothing , wearing , using , sticking (New Year's red including couplets, blessings/"福" character, door gods, red envelopes, candles, firecrackers, fireworks, etc.), giving (New Year's greetings) gifts, candy , tea , meat , drinks , wine , etc., is collectively called "New Year's goods", and the process of purchasing New Year's goods is called "New Year's goods". Doing New Year's goods is an important activity for Chinese people to celebrate the Spring Festival.

No. 2: House Cleaning

House Cleaning

Among the folks, there is a custom of "sweeping the dust (also known as sweeping the house) on the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month. The folk proverb is called "twenty-four, sweeping the house / 腊月二十四 掸尘扫房子". The folks call it "sweeping the dust day". Clean the environment, wash all kinds of utensils, unpick and wash bedding and curtains, sweep the six-lumen courtyard, brush off the dirt and cobwebs, and dredge the open channels and underground ditches. There is a joyous atmosphere of rejoicing, cleaning, and welcoming the new year. According to folk sayings: Because of the homophony of "dust" and "Chen", sweeping dust before the year has the meaning of "removing old and bringing forth new". The purpose of sweeping dust is to sweep away all bad luck and bad luck, so as to pray for good luck in the coming year.

In the countryside, it is usually necessary to clean the inside and outside of the house, especially the cleaning of your brick and tile house is time-consuming and laborious. In addition, you have to clean the kitchen, pigsty and cattle pen separately. But now many rural families do not raise pigs and cattle, so there is no need for cleaning.

No. 3: New Year's Meat

Paste New Year Red

The folk proverb says "on the twenty-sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, kill the pig and cut the meat for the new year / 腊月二十六,杀猪割年肉 ", which means that the meat for the new year is mainly prepared on this day. The so-called slaughter of pigs is of course the killing of pigs raised by one's own family; the so-called cutting of meat refers to the poor people who do not raise pigs going to the market to buy meat for the New Year. The reason why "cutting the meat of the new year" was included in the New Year's Ballad is that the farming society and economy are underdeveloped, and people can only eat meat during the annual festival, so it is called "the meat of the new year".

Nowadays, many rural people don’t raise pigs anymore, and most of them go to the market to buy; some mountainous areas or ethnic minorities kill a pig during the Chinese New Year, some of them are used to give gifts to relatives, some are used to entertain relatives, and some are used to make bacon or sausage.

No. 4: Paste New Year Red

Paste New Year Red

On the 28th, 29th or 30th day of the new year, every household "posts the New Year's Red" (the New Year's Red is the collective name for the red festive elements pasted during the New Year, such as Spring Festival couplets, door gods, horizontal batches, New Year pictures, and the word "Fu"). It is a traditional Chinese New Year custom to paste New Year's red, which adds to the festive atmosphere and places people's good expectations for the New Year and new life.

4.1: Spring Festival Couplets

  • Chinese: 春联 / chūn lián

Window grilles

Pasting Spring Festival couplets is also called pasting couplets, etc. It depicts the background of the times and expresses good wishes with neat, dual, concise and delicate characters. It is a unique literary form in China. Every Spring Festival, no matter in the city or in the countryside, every household will choose a red Spring Festival couplet and paste it on the door to add a festive atmosphere to the festival.

4.2: New Year Pictures

  • Chinese: 年画 / nián huà

New Year Pictures

It is also common to hang and post New Year pictures during the Spring Festival in urban and rural areas. The thick and colorful New Year pictures add a lot of prosperity and joy to thousands of households. New Year pictures are ancient folk art in China, reflecting the people's simple customs and beliefs, and entrusting their hopes for the future. With the rise of woodblock printing, the content of New Year pictures is not limited to monotonous themes such as door gods but has become rich and colorful.

4.3: Paste Paper-cuts to Windows and the word "Fu"/福 (blessing)

  • Chinese: 窗花 / chuāng huā 与“福”/ fú

Window grilles

In the folk people also like to paste various paper-cuts on the windows - window grilles. Window grilles not only set off the festive atmosphere but also integrate decoration, appreciation, and practicality. At the same time, some families want to paste large and small "blessing" characters on the house door, walls, and lintels. There are also folks who make the word "Fu" into various patterns, such as longevity star, longevity peach, carp jumping over the dragon's gate, five grains and harvest, dragon and phoenix bringing prosperity, and so on.

No.5: New Year's Eve Dinner

New Year's Eve Dinner

  • Chinese : 年夜饭/ nián yè fàn
  • When : some families have dinner at 2 or 3 pm, and some have dinner at about 6 pm

New Year's Eve dinner, also known as New Year's dinner, reunion dinner, etc., especially refers to the family dinner at the end of New Year's Eve. The New Year's Eve dinner originated from the ancient year-end sacrificial ceremony, where the family had a reunion dinner after worshiping the gods and ancestors. The New Year's Eve dinner is the highlight of the year, not only rich and colorful but also very meaningful. Before eating the reunion dinner, worship the gods and ancestors first, and the meal will not be served until the worship ceremony is over.

5.1: What do people often prepare for New Year's Eve Dinner?

New Year's Eve dinner

There are usually chickens (meaning planning), fish (meaning surplus every year), dried oysters (meaning good market), bean curd sticks (meaning abundance), lotus root (meaning smartness), lettuce (meaning making money), sausage (meaning long life) ) and so on for good luck. The Chinese New Year's Eve dinner is a reunion dinner for the family, and this is the richest and most important dinner at the end of the year.

5.2: Differences between North and South for New Year's Eve dinner

New Year's Eve dinner

There are many famous places for New Year’s Eve dinners, which are different from the north and the south, and each has its own particularity. Northerners are used to eating dumplings during Chinese New Year, which is a habit handed down from ancient times. Due to geographical and climatic reasons, during the Spring Festival, the north is still in a cold winter, and it is basically impossible to grow crops, with scarce resources and few ingredients. The southern region, especially some coastal areas, is basically full of greenery all year round, and the southern region has a great advantage in vegetables and fruits in winter, so it has more choices in the choice of diet; in terms of geographical advantages, the southern water resources There are plenty of fish and various fish ingredients; so on some important festivals, the diet in the south is more abundant.

However, with the increasing number of large supermarkets and the convenience brought by online shopping and logistics, the difference in ingredients is getting smaller and smaller, and the current differences are only differences in eating habits.

No. 6: Staying Up(Shou Sui)

test

  • Chinese : 守岁 / shǒu suì
  • Meaning : Shou Sui is the custom of not sleeping on the last night of the old year and staying up late to welcome the arrival of the new year. In ancient times, Shou Sui had two meanings: elders' Shou Sui means "farewell to the old year", meaning to cherish the time; young Shou Sui means to prolong the life of their parents.
  • What people do during Shou Sui : watch TV, play on the phone, play mahjong, play poker, set off fireworks or firecrackers, etc.

New Year's Eve dinner

Shou Sui on New Year's Eve is one of the annual activities, and the custom of Shou Sui has been around for a long time. The folk custom of Shou Sui is mainly manifested in that all the houses are lit with new year fires, the family gathers together , and keep the " Shou Sui Fire " from extinguishing, waiting for the moment of saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new year.

On New Year's Eve, the whole family gathers together, has a New Year’s Eve dinner, lights candles or oil lamps, sits around the fire and chats , and stays up all night to watch, which symbolizes driving away all evil plagues and diseases, and looks forward to good luck in the new year.

New Year's Eve dinner

In the south, usually at 12 o'clock on New Year's Eve, every household in rural areas will set off firecrackers and fireworks on time to welcome the arrival of the New Year. Some families start giving red envelopes(lucky money) to their children after 12 o'clock, hoping that the children will grow up healthily and everything goes well in the New Year!

NO.7: Lucky Money / New Year's Money / Red Envelope

Lucky Money

  • Chinese : 压岁钱/红包, yā suì qián / hóng bāo
  • How much : from RMB10-800 or more

Red Envelope

It is said that "lucky money" can suppress evil spirits, and the younger generation can spend the first year safely with the lucky money. In folk culture, lucky money means to ward off evil spirits and drive away ghosts and bless peace. The original purpose of lucky money was to suppress evil and exorcise evil spirits. Because people think that children are vulnerable to ghosts and ghosts, they use lucky money to drive away ghosts and ghosts.

Generally, during the countdown to the new year, the elders distribute "lucky money" to the younger generations, expressing pressure and embodying the elders' concern and sincere blessings for the younger generation. Another kind of "New Year's money" is given to the elderly by the younger generation in the hope of longevity for the elderly.

No.8: Temple Fair

Temple Fair

  • Chinese : 庙会 / miào huì
  • When : from the first day of the New Year to the end of the Lantern Festival, the period varies in different cities.
  • Activities : traditional opera, puppet show, comic dialogue, sketch, double reed, magic, Yangko dance, walk on stilts, Diabolo, revolving lantern, rattle, etc.
  • Food : Sugar-coated haws, sugar painting, sugar-figure blowing, marshmallow, steamed rice cake, Chinese hamburger(Roujiamo), coold noodles, barbecue skewers, etc.

Temple Fair

Visiting temple fairs is one of the most lively folk activities during the Spring Festival. Guangfu Temple Fair and Beijing Ditan Temple Fair are also known as the two major temple fairs in China. The content of the temple fair covers puppet collection, Chinese unique skills, martial arts conference, Lantern Festival and other themed activities, and includes rich content such as blessing culture, folk culture, food culture, business and leisure culture.

Visiting temple fairs during the Spring Festival is the most important way to experience Chinese traditional culture.

No. 9: Pay a New Year call

Temple Fair

  • Chinese: 拜年 / bài nián

Visiting during the Spring Festival is one of the traditional customs of the New Year, and it is a way for people to bid farewell to the old year, welcome the new year and express good wishes to each other. On the second and third days of junior high school, I started to visit relatives and friends, visit each other, congratulate each other, and say congratulations on Xinxi, Gong Xi Fa Cai , Congratulations , and Happy New Year . The meaning of New Year's greetings is to visit relatives and friends to connect with each other, congratulate each other on the New Year, express feelings for relatives and friends and best wishes for life in the new year. With the development of the times, the custom of paying New Year's greetings is constantly adding new content and forms.

There are two types of New Year greetings

1 . New Year greetings to brothers, uncles, grandparents and grandma who live in the same place. This kind of New Year greetings do not need to bring gifts, just prepare red envelopes;

2 . New Year greetings to uncles, aunts and sisters who are not in the same village. , You need to bring gifts such as milk, wine, chickens and other gifts to celebrate the New Year.

Seasonal food

The Spring Festival is the traditional festival that Chinese people pay the most attention to. On the eve of the Spring Festival, every family will spend a long time preparing for the Spring Festival. So what are the must-eat foods for Spring Festival? Let's take a look below.

Main Dishes

  • Chinese: 饺子 / jiǎo zi

Dumplings are an indispensable food for the New Year’s Eve dinner table in the north. Dumplings are shaped like ingots. Eating dumplings during the Spring Festival means “to attract wealth and treasure”. People will also wrap coins in the dumplings. There will be good fortune.

Deserts and Snacks

Desserts and snacks are indispensable in Chinese New Year’s delicacies, such as rice cakes, glutinous rice balls, Steamed sponge cake, Chinese rice pudding, Fried dough twist, Fried flour-coated peanuts, etc., which are loved by children and the elderly.

No. 1: Nian Gao (Rice Cake)

  • Chinese: 年糕 / nián gāo

Dragon Dance

In the early Suzhou people, to commemorate Wu Zixu(famous military strategist, 559 BC - 484 BC.), they made new year cakes during the Chinese New Year. Later, they gradually became popular all over the country, such as red date rice cakes in Shandong, minced fruit rice cakes in Beijing, taro rice cakes and brown sugar or white sugar rice cakes in Fujian, water-milled rice cakes in Ningbo, and rice cakes in Suzhou. Osmanthus sugar rice cake and so on. Nian Gao, a homonym for "nian gao", is a must-have food for the Spring Festival, and it entrusts people's expectation that everything will develop for the better.

No. 2: Glutinous Rice Ball

  • Chinese: 汤圆 / tāng yuán

Glutinous Rice Ball

The Lantern Festival food in the south is called "Tangyuan", also known as "Yuanxiao", "Tangyuan" and "Floating Yuanzi". It is one of the representatives of traditional Chinese snacks and is a spherical food made of glutinous rice flour. Generally, there are fillings, boiled and eaten with soup. It is also the most distinctive food of the Lantern Festival. Use black sesame seeds and lard as filling, add a little white sugar, and roll the outside into a round shape with glutinous rice flour. Because this kind of glutinous rice dumpling floats and sinks when boiled in a pot, it was first called "Fuyuanzi", and later in some areas, "Fuyuanzi" was renamed Tangtuan. In Jiangsu, Shanghai and other places, there is a custom of eating glutinous rice balls on the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year.

Red envelopes ("hongbao" in Chinese pinyin) are sold all around the markets and streets. They are used to put money in a red envelope and the money is called "ya sui qian", symbolizing the warding off, or suppression of evil. Usually, adults or older people give red envelopes with any amount of money (it can be 5 yuan or 100 yuan or more) to the juniors. On the cover of the red envelopes, there are usually icons of what the year belongs to or some common greetings like "Xin Nian Kuai Le" (Happy New Year) and "Ji Xiang Ru Yi" (wish everything goes well for you). Some people don't use any red envelopes, instead, they give money to the younger directly.

Dragon Dance

Dragon dances and lion dances are very popular and common during the Chinese New Year. From the 1st day of New Year to the 15th day, streets and homes are filled with dragon and lion dances. They are formed by a group of people, some of whom manage the "dragon" and the "lion", while some beat the drums. It is believed that the loud noise created by the drums, along with the faces of the dragon and lion scare away evil spirits.

When the New Year celebration ends on the 15th day of the New Year, there comes the Lantern Festival. On the evening of that day, in some places, people make lanterns and put them into a main river and just let them flow with the currents. In other places, there are lantern parades. People bring lanterns with them and walk on the streets. Young men may highlight the parade with a dragon dance.

Do you know these New Year phrases?

New Year Phrase

  • For everyone you meet: Happy new year! - 新年快乐 /xīn nián kuài lè
  • For seniors: Everything goes well and perfect health - 万事如意, 身体健康/ wàn shì rú yì, shēn tǐ jiàn kāng
  • For students and young people: May all your wishes come true - 心想事成 / xīn xiǎng shì chéng
  • For business people: Wish youa  great fortune! - 恭喜发财 / gōng xǐ fā cái
  • For business people: Wish your business success - 生意兴隆 / hēng yì xìng lóng
  • For those who work: Promoting to a higher position - 步步高升 / bù bù gāo shēng
  • Pun: I hope you make a killing and give me a red envelope(New Year's Money)! - 恭喜发财,红包拿来!

Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt sentenced to up to 30 years in prison in child abuse case

By Kerry Breen

Updated on: February 20, 2024 / 3:17 PM EST / CBS News

Parenting YouTuber Ruby Franke and her business parter Jodi Hildebrandt, who pleaded guilty to child abuse charges that stemmed from one of Franke's children  escaping Hildebrandt's house  in August to beg a neighbor for help, have been sentenced to prison. Each could serve as much as 30 years, the prosecutor said after the hearing, the most severe penalty available under Utah law.

Franke has been sentenced to four consecutive prison terms, CBS News affiliate KUTV reported Tuesday , which could range from one to 15 years each. The Utah Board of Pardons and Parole will determine prison time, KUTV reported. Franke has 30 days to appeal the decision. 

Hildebrandt received the same sentence of four consecutive prison terms, KUTV reported, which could again range from one to 15 years each. Like Franke, Hildebrandt's prison time will be determined by the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole.

Franke, who gave parenting advice on her now-defunct "8 Passengers" YouTube channel, and Hildebrandt, who operated a counseling business called ConneXions Classroom, were each initially charged with six counts of aggravated child abuse, a second-degree felony. Each count carried a potential penalty of one to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. 

While reading the sentencing recommendation, state prosecutor Eric Clarke compared the environment Franke's children faced to a "concentration camp-like setting," and said that Franke "committed horrible acts of child abuse." While addressing Hildebrandt's charges, Clarke called her a "significant threat" to the community. 

Both women addressed the court before their sentencings, with Hildebrandt saying that she would "submit to what the state feels is an appropriate amount of time served." Franke admitted that she and Hildebrandt had "inflicted the injuries" on her children. She said that she had been "led to believe that this world is an evil place" and that Hildebrandt had never been her "business responsibility," but that she had paid the other woman to be her mentor. Franke also thanked public safety officials who rescued her children, calling them "angels," according to KUTV. 

"My charges are just," Franke said. "They offer safety to my family, accountability to the public." 

What did Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt do? 

In December, Franke  pleaded guilty to four counts of child abuse  and admitted that she tortured her children, including the now 12-year-old boy who escaped Hildebrandt's home. In the plea agreement, which contained graphic details of abuse, Franke said her son was often kept bound, and that her nine-year-old daughter was made to do manual labor outside in the hot sun with no water or shoes. Both children were often told they were possessed and that their punishments were necessary to help them. 

The boy told officials that Hildebrandt had tied him up and used home remedies to treat wounds caused by the restraints, according to court documents reviewed by KUTV . 

As part of her plea deal, Franke agreed to serve a prison term and agreed that her sentences would run consecutively. She also agreed to testify against Hildebrandt. 

Hildebrandt also pleaded guilty , just days after Franke, to four counts of child abuse. Her plea agreement stated that she either tortured the children or was aware of the abuse. The agreement also stated that Hildebrandt "either physically forced or coerced" Franke's daughter to "jump into a cactus multiple times." 

The crimes were motivated by their religious faith, said Washington County Attorney Eric Clarke in a statement.

"This is a case about religious extremism. The defendants appear to have fully believed that the abuse they inflicted was necessary to teach the children how to properly repent for imagined 'sins' and to cast the evil spirits out of their bodies," Clarke said. "Hildebrandt regularly stated that God communicated directly with her and gave her directions. Franke accepted Hildebrandt as her leader and followed her instructions and guidance." 

Where is Ruby Franke's family now? 

Even before the criminal charges, Franke was criticized on YouTube for her harsh punishments towards her children, including once banning one of her children from his bedroom for seven months because he pranked his younger brother.  The YouTube channel, which began in 2015, ended after seven years. 

Franke's husband, Kevin Franke, has filed for divorce. In early September, a lawyer for Kevin Franke told CBS News that he was representing his client's interests in keeping his children together and in his care and that he could not comment on Ruby Franke's arrest. 

Kevin Franke appeared in court Friday alongside Franke's two eldest children. While speaking from the stand, Franke apologized to her former husband. "You are the love of my life," she said, according to KUTV. "The ending of our marriage is a tragedy."

Franke's parents and brother both filed statements with the court ahead of her sentencing Tuesday, blaming Hildebrandt's influence for her actions. Franke's brother Beau Griffiths said that he had also been enrolled in Hildebrandt's ConneXions program.

"At the continued encouragement of Ms. Hildebrandt, Ruby systematically pushed those around her away, first myself, and then our sisters, parents, and close friends, and then her husband, and finally her own children," Griffiths said in part. "Ruby has clearly been brainwashed. She has been taken advantage of by Ms. Hildebrandt." 

Franke's sisters,  Julie Griffiths Deru  and  Bonnie Hoellein , YouTubers themselves,  shared videos detailing  Franke's separation from the family and stating that they were not aware of her actions. 

Franke's parents, Chad and Jennifer Griffiths, said in their statement to the court that for three years they only had "brief communications" with their daughter, where she "accused us of either things that never happen or she grossly exaggerated the events that did." 

"She was delusional," they said, according to KUTV. "She was so deeply brainwashed we could not recognize her." 

  • Child Abuse

Kerry Breen

Kerry Breen is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.

More from CBS News

Prosecutors ask court to keep white supremacist in prison after judge tosses case

Grubhub sued by LA County for false advertising and unfair business practices

Two OUSD face recall efforts after supporting controversial policies

Earth movement reported in Brentwood near homes

What next for Ukraine? It's all about America

Here are two scenarios which could befall geopolitics depending on who wins the Oval Office in November.

introduction year meaning

US correspondent @Stone_SkyNews

Saturday 24 February 2024 14:45, UK

The second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine comes as America prepares for a crucial election and while funding for a Ukrainian victory remains blocked in a divided Congress.

As our own frontline eyewitness reporting shows, Vladimir Putin has the upper hand.

Western leaders have repeatedly warned that Putin won't stop at Ukraine given the chance. We are reminded that even on the eve of his invasion two years ago, Putin insisted he would not move into Ukraine.

So what might happen in the months and years ahead?

Here are two scenarios. Far-fetched? It depends if the rhetoric is accurate.

Scenario one:

It's March 2025 and a few weeks since Donald Trump was inaugurated as America's 47th president .

Donald Trump

Air Force One has just touched down in Istanbul where Turkey is hosting the 'Donbas Peace Summit' where an agreement will be signed by Presidents Putin and Zelenskyy .

At the Topkapi Palace overlooking the Bosporus River, the stage is set for a Trump-brokered 'peace' treaty.

The treaty comes three months after Ukraine's weapon supply ran completely dry following an American refusal to pass funding bills and a breakdown in European unity.

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin 'may achieve war goal'

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Latvia will train up to 800 conscripts this year

This Istanbul moment is the delivery of President Trump's campaign pledge to 'solve the Ukraine war in a day'.

It had taken longer than a day but Zelenskyy had been cornered through a lack of Western weapons.

Closed-door meetings between Trump administration officials and the Kremlin (the contents of which have not been revealed) sealed the deal: Ukraine agreed to cede the whole of the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine to an expanded Russian Federation.

Inside the Topkapi Palace, Zelenskyy first took to the stage, stony-faced and wearing a suit rather than his army fatigues for the first time since the Russian invasion three years earlier.

He signed the document and left the room without acknowledging President Trump who was presiding over the moment.

(Pic: Reuters)

Minutes later, separately, a beaming President Putin emerged, signed the document and shook the American president's hand.

Three years later in the spring of 2028, the Russian army which had been massing on Europe's eastern flank invaded Latvia and Estonia.

The two European nations fell fast.

NATO, abandoned by Trump's America a year earlier, was unable to defend them.

By the summer of 2029, Chinese President Xi Jinping launches an air and maritime invasion of Taiwan.

Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts

Read more from Sky News: Who is Alexei Navalny's wife Yulia? Donald Trump breaks silence on Alexei Navalny's death What remains of Russian opposition?

Scenario two:

March 2025. Air Force One lands at Kyiv international airport. Joe Biden , recently re-elected as America's President, descends the steps of the plane with a rare spring in his careful step.

President Joe Biden speaks about his meeting with Alexei Navalny's widow Yulia Navalnaya and daughter Dasha, in San Francisco, Feb. 22, 2024. The U.S. government is hitting Russia with the largest tranche of financial penalties imposed on Moscow since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. They target roughly 600 people and firms from Russia to China to the United Arab Emirates. The sanctions are timed to the second anniversary of the invasion, and in response to the death of Navalny. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

On the tarmac, Ukraine's President Zelenskyy, in a suit, embraces him. Some observers said they could see tears in his eyes.

A week earlier, Russian President Putin had withdrawn the last of his forces from eastern Ukraine after a bitter winter battle in which an estimated 40,000 soldiers on both sides had been killed.

Putin's army had been decimated after a massive increase of weapons from Europe and the United States.

The consequence of a war which had lasted three years was the near-total degradation of the Russian military.

It had been compounded by a surprise thaw in US-China relations and Beijing's subsequent abandonment of Moscow.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy meets with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris (not pictured) during the Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich, Germany February 17, 2024. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/Pool TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

A dramatic shift in the geopolitics of the Middle East also helped to seal Russia's fate.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's resignation and subsequent conviction in the 7 October Inquiry of September 2024 had paved the way for the Israeli-Saudi normalisation deal.

This isolated Iran and dented Tehran's relations with Moscow.

introduction year meaning

Far-fetched then? Quite possibly. Donald Trump's first presidency showed that his fickle unpredictability often cancelled out his wild rhetoric.

And a second Biden term is full of profound unknowns. Republican or Democrat, America appears far less engaged than it once was.

In a world of such discombobulating flux, and where global geopolitics is all inextricably linked, don't rule anything out.

Related Topics

  • Donald Trump
  • US election 2024
  • Vladimir Putin
  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy

IMAGES

  1. Introduction of the year

    introduction year meaning

  2. How to write an academic introduction / Academic English UK

    introduction year meaning

  3. Introduction

    introduction year meaning

  4. Introduction Meaning with Examples

    introduction year meaning

  5. 10 Tips: How to Write a Killer Introduction for an Article

    introduction year meaning

  6. How To Write A Long Introduction For An Essay

    introduction year meaning

VIDEO

  1. my reading goals for 2024 / january tbr

  2. How to increase lifespan?come will share information about it💁‍♀️!#ytshorts#nursing#trending#shorts

  3. Leap Year Meaning🤓#kirkiimad #tiktok #funny #real #relatable #2024 #newyear #february #shorts

  4. Are U reducing disparities among you?How you are going to do that💁‍♀️?#ytshorts #1million #trending

  5. Mastering the Art of Writing Dates in English

  6. Year-End Playlist: Unwrapping the Musical Memories of the Year!

COMMENTS

  1. What is a Gap Year? Why take a Gap Year?

    The answer to "what is a gap year" and the gap year definition is simple: a year taken off from university or college in order to pursue other goals. A gap year may also refer to a year taken after college when graduates don't go straight into the workforce in their field.

  2. Introduction Definition & Meaning

    : the act or process of introducing : the state of being introduced 3 : a putting in : insertion 4 : something introduced specifically : a new or exotic plant or animal Synonyms exordium foreword intro preamble preface prelude proem prologue prolog prolusion See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus Examples of introduction in a Sentence

  3. What is the Chinese New Year and How is it Celebrated?

    1. 新年快乐 (Xīnnián Kuàilè) - Happy New Year! 2. 恭喜发财 (gōngxǐfācái) - May you have a prosperous year! 兔年大吉 (tùnián dàjí) - Happy Year of the Rabbit (2023) 4. 岁岁平安 (suìsuì píng'ān) - May you have peace year after year 5. 万事如意 (wànshìrúyì) - May all your hopes be fulfilled What are some taboos during Spring Festival? 1. No cleaning! 2.

  4. What is a Gap Year?

    As such, a gap year can be any break taken between life stages, whether that is between school and university, between university and formal work, or when changing careers or going into retirement later on in life. Other common names for a gap year are: pathway, prep-year, leap year, defer year, bridge-year, drop year, year out, year off ...

  5. INTRODUCTION definition

    noun us / ˌɪn.trəˈdʌk.ʃ ə n / uk / ˌɪn.trəˈdʌk.ʃ ə n / introduction noun (PUT INTO USE) Add to word list B2 [ U ] an occasion when something is put into use or brought to a place for the first time: The introduction of new working practices has dramatically improved productivity.

  6. introduction noun

    Oxford Collocations Dictionary bringing into use/to a place [uncountable] the act of bringing something into use or existence for the first time, or of bringing something to a place for the first time introduction of something the introduction of new manufacturing methods the introduction of compulsory military service

  7. A Brief History Of Lunar New Year

    Michaela Fulton 06 September 2022 Chinese celebrations marking the start of the Lunar New Year last a fortnight, during which revellers paint the town red - quite literally - for 15 days of feasts, firecrackers and festivals. Why? Culture Trip explores the origins of this tradition as we ring in the Year of the Pig.

  8. PDF Strategies for Essay Writing

    introduction: orienting information, an explanation of what's at stake, and a thesis. Each introduction has been annotated to show these three common features. If you have questions about what an introduction should look like for one of your courses, you should always consult your instructor. Introduction #1

  9. New Year festival

    The earliest known record of a New Year festival dates from about 2000 bce in Mesopotamia, where in Babylonia the new year (Akitu) began with the new moon after the spring equinox (mid-March) and in Assyria with the new moon nearest the autumn equinox (mid-September).

  10. Lunar New Year

    Lunar New Year, often called the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year, is the most important holiday in China and Chinese communities around the world. It is not only celebrate in China. Vietnam, Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore also practice the Lunar New Year holiday.

  11. Introduction

    noun the first section of a communication see more noun a basic or elementary instructional text see more noun the act of putting one thing into another synonyms: insertion, intromission see more Pronunciation US

  12. Everything About the Year of the Dragon

    While the Year of the Rabbit promoted a time of powerful self-reflection, self-awareness, spiritual awakening, and a deeper understanding of who we are and our greater purpose in this world, the Year of the Dragon is about action, dynamism, and taking concrete steps to manifest the reality we want, much like the Dragon itself!

  13. New Year

    January 1: The first day of the civil year in the Gregorian calendar used by most countries . Contrary to common belief in the west, the civil New Year of January 1 is not an Orthodox Christian religious holiday. The Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar makes no provision for the observance of a New Year.

  14. introduction

    introduction meaning, definition, what is introduction: the act of bringing something into use f...: Learn more. English. ... of bringing something somewhere for the first time introduction of the introduction of Buddhism to China nearly 2,000 years ago b) [countable] ...

  15. Chinese Zodiac: 12 Animal Signs, Compatibility, Horoscopes

    Fefe Ho Last updated on Jan 8, 2024. The Chinese zodiac, or Sheng Xiao ( 生肖 ), is a repeating 12-year cycle of animal signs and their ascribed attributes, based on the lunar calendar. In order, the zodiac animals are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig. The Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, marks ...

  16. Happy New Year of the Dragon

    Every Lunar New Year, China ushers in a new zodiac sign from a cycle of 12 auspicious animals. This year, it's the Year of the Dragon, or more accurately, the "Year of the Loong," says ...

  17. Introduction vs Greeting: When And How Can You Use Each One?

    Non-verbal greetings include waving, nodding, or smiling. In some cultures, a greeting can involve a physical gesture such as a bow or a handshake. In summary, an introduction is a formal act of presenting one person to another, while a greeting is a way of acknowledging the presence of someone else.

  18. INTRODUCTION

    noun uk / ˌɪn.trəˈdʌk.ʃ ə n / us / ˌɪn.trəˈdʌk.ʃ ə n / introduction noun (PUT INTO USE) Add to word list B2 [ U ] an occasion when something is put into use or brought to a place for the first time: The introduction of new working practices has dramatically improved productivity.

  19. Lunar New Year 2024

    The year 2024 is slated to be the year of the dragon—an auspicious symbol of power, wisdom and good fortune. The year of the dragon last came up in 2012. The year of the dragon last came up in 2012.

  20. 2024 is a Leap Year, but what does that mean? Here's the story behind

    Leap day exists to even out time discrepancies between the calendar year and the solar year. While it's widely accepted that a calendar year has 365 days, it takes Earth about 365.242 days to ...

  21. Introducing Gemini 1.5, Google's next-generation AI model

    Gemini 1.5 Pro also shows impressive "in-context learning" skills, meaning that it can learn a new skill from information given in a long prompt, without needing additional fine-tuning. We tested this skill on the Machine Translation from One Book (MTOB) benchmark, which shows how well the model learns from information it's never seen before.

  22. Celebrating Oshogatsu: An Introduction to Japanese New Year Traditions

    Children are gifted with otoshidama, an envelope with money.They also fly traditional kites called takoage and play karuta, a traditional card game.During the New Year period, many people also love to hit the shops to get their hands on a fukubukuro, mystery bags full of goods sold at a discounted price.. Oshogatsu celebrations start to wrap up around January 4, and people return to their ...

  23. Introduction to Lunar Chinese New Year, the Traditional Spring Festival

    Introduction to Traditional Chinese New Year The Chinese New Year, also called Spring Festival, is the most important and widely celebrated festival of all in China. It is celebrated from the 1st day of the 1st lunar month to the 15th day of the 1st lunar month.

  24. NFL Announces Unprecedented Jump Related to 2024 Salary Cap

    What does it mean for the Giants? According to Over the Cap, the Giants have 51 players under contract before the start of the March 13 league year, in which the Top 51 rule goes into effect.The ...

  25. Reddit has never turned a profit in nearly 20 years, but it just filed

    Reddit, the message board site known for its chronically online userbase and for originating much internet discourse, filed for its long-anticipated initial public offering on Thursday.

  26. How To Introduce Yourself Professionally (With Examples)

    Here are four ways you can introduce yourself professionally: 1. State your purpose. Many people introduce themselves by stating their name and current job title, but you should also try to add information your new contact can't find on your business card. If you are at a networking event, consider starting with your name, then stating what ...

  27. Intel Launches World's First Systems Foundry Designed for the AI Era

    Intel's extended process technology roadmap adds Intel 14A to the company's leading-edge node plan, in addition to several specialized node evolutions. Intel also affirmed that its ambitious five-nodes-in-four-years (5N4Y) process roadmap remains on track and will deliver the industry's first backside power solution. Company leaders ...

  28. Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt sentenced to up to 30 years in prison

    YouTube mom Ruby Franke sentenced to 30 years for child abuse 02:12. Parenting YouTuber Ruby Franke and her business parter Jodi Hildebrandt, who pleaded guilty to child abuse charges that stemmed ...

  29. AI boom drove Nvidia profits up 580% last year

    Earnings released on Wednesday show Nvidia's profits grew to nearly $12.3 billion in the three months ended January 28 — up from $1.4 billion in the year-ago quarter, a gain of 769% year-over ...

  30. What next for Ukraine? It's all about America

    Three years later in the spring of 2028, the Russian army which had been massing on Europe's eastern flank invaded Latvia and Estonia. The two European nations fell fast.