More than 1.5 billion people celebrate the Chinese New Year every year, marking the beginning of the upcoming 12 months on the traditional lunisolar calendar.
Traditionally known as the Lunar New Year, the festivities that surround the big event are also known as the Spring Festival.
Today (22 January), the 2023 Lunar New Year is set to welcome the Year of the Rabbit, an animal that is said to signify mercy, elegance and beauty.
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While the New Year is traditionally celebrated by people of Chinese descent, it is also enjoyed in many countries across Asia such as Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia.
If you are not too familiar with the meaning behind the Chinese New Year, you might have noticed that it does not fall on the same day every year.
Last year, the New Year fell on the 1 February, with this year's celebrations kicking off today (22 January).
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Many of us are familiar with the western world's New Year, which falls on 1 January every year.
So why does the Chinese New Year have a different date every single year?
Well, the Chinese New Year coincides with the lunar calendar, where the first day of the month begins during the new moon.
This means that the Chinese New Year falls on different dates each year, but it will always fall between 21 January and 20 February.
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Unlike in the west where the New Year's celebrations last for just a day, the Chinese New Year is celebrated across 15 days in Asia this year.
A public holiday is also declared for seven days, meaning those in mainland China get seven days off work.
During this period of celebration, there are many traditions that take place amongst Chinese communities.
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The New Year typically gets under way with a lion dance, with performers in a costume mimicking a lion's movement.
The performer under the costume moves with the rhythm of a beating drum, as the loud sounds are intended to remove any evil spirits and welcome the lion to bring in good fortune.
Like most celebrations, the Chinese New Year involves a lot of good food, including specially prepared food on certain days, which is supposed to bring good luck.
Other traditions among people celebrating are cleaning their homes thoroughly to remove the house of any potential bad luck.
Featured Image Credit: Chris Bull / Jerome / AlamyTopics: China