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A woman stands under paper lanterns, celebrating the Chinese New Yearat Ditan Park in Beijing (Reuters)

When is it?

Tomorrow marks Chinese New Year, the longest and mostimportant holiday in the Chinese calendar.

The worlds largest annual human migration is now wellunderway as 2.8 billion trips are made across China in what isknown as chun yun, when students, migrant workers and officeemployees living away from home will make the journey back tocelebrate with their families.

It is Chinas most important holiday

Chinese New Year 2015: 6 things you need toknow about the Year of the Goat (not Sheep)

everything you need to know about yang, pillows and primroses

FRANCESCA WASHTELL

Wednesday 18 February 2015

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Fireworks explode at the River Hongbao Lunar New Year Celebrationsalong Marina Bay in Singapore (Reuters)

Chinese New Year is the longest national holiday in China,spanning a total of fifteen days, and New Years Day is the mostimportant date in the Chinese calendar.

The first three days of the new year are a statutory holiday butusually most people will have the time from New Years Eve tothe sixth day of the new year off from work.

Although China has used the Gregorian calendar since 1912,Chinese New Year is based on the ancient Chinese lunarcalendar, and it falls on the second new moon after wintersolstice - somewhere between 21 January and 19 February,meaning it changes from year to year.

It is pronounced Gong Xi Fa Cai in Mandarin and Gong HeyFat Choy in Cantonese, although both are written the same way.

Roughly a sixth of the world will celebrate it

As well as being celebrated in China itself, celebrations occur inTaiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and all countries where there aresignificant Chinese populations.

London and San Fransisco both claim to host the largestcelebrations outside of Asia, and smaller celebrations occur inmost Western countries.

This year Londons celebrations will take place on 22 Februaryfrom 10am to 6pm in Trafalgar Square and include a parade through the West End.

Wish people a happy new year by saying Xin Nian Kuai Le inMandarin or San Nin Faai Lok in Cantonese.

Goat or sheep?

2015 is the year of the goat, but you may see it referred to as theYear of the Sheep too.

The confusion stems from the Chinese character yang, whichcan translate in colloquial Chinese as either sheep or goat.

Those born in 1919, 1931, 1943, 1967, 1979, 1991 or 2003 aregoats, who can count their lucky colours as brown, red andpurple.

Their characters are supposedly kind and peaceable, while theirbest months are supposedly August and November and their

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Chinese New Year:6 things you needto know about theYear of the Goat(not Sheep)

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Goat dolls are on display at a gift shop for the upcoming Chinese LunarNew Year at a market in Bangkok's Chinatown (EPA)

Children receive money and place them under the pillow before going tosleep, to bring happiness and good fortune (The Royal Mint)

lucky flowers are primroses and carnations.

Children will sleep with money under their pillow

Children will be given red envelopes filled with money to bringhappiness and good fortune.

The envelopes themselves are good luck, as well as the contents,and some children will sleep with their envelopes under theirpillow for up to seven days to increase their luck.

A common misconception is that everyone receives money fromeveryone else as part of Chinese New Year celebrations.

In fact, only people who are not married receive the red packetsof money (hong bak) and only those who are married give themout.

How is it celebrated?

Dinners, parades, dragon dances, reunions and gift exchangesare all part of Chinese New Year celebrations.

Red clothing and elements are essential for Chinese New Year, asthe mythical monster at the centre of the New Year, Nian, wassupposedly scared of the colour red and fireworks, which havealso become a key part of New Year celebrations.

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Filipino dancers perform a Dragon Dance on the eve of the Chinese NewYear (EPA)

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month before the New Year, and subsequent house decorating,are both major rituals in the run up to New Year.

Each day has its own celebration: while on Day 2 it is traditionalto visit friends and relatives, on Day 3 people tend to stay athome as it is not seen as auspicious to socialise.

The final day, Day 15, sees the Lantern Festival, where redChinese lanterns are released into the sky.

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