The Chinese new year

The Chinese new year, when spring returns to Réunion

Sure the Reunion Island, the cultural mix is a very important thing and the festivals of the different ethnic groups which compose it find their place there. This is the case of the Chinese New Year, the most notable holiday of the Chinese community on intense island. Also known as the Spring Festival, it begins according to the Chinese calendar, depending on the solar and lunar cycles between January 21 and February 19, the first day of the lunar year.

For 15 days, the Chinese will engage in several rituals that will bring them happiness, longevity or even prosperity, starting from the preparations.

Just before the New Year, there is a spring cleaning in the houses, taking out the broom on New Year's Day is bad luck. On New Year's Eve, families gather to pay homage to ancestors and savor a hearty meal, each dish of which has meaning.

Fish and meat so that nobody misses anything, the ravioli symbolizing wealth or the “cake of the year” promise of evolution in all areas. New gifts arranged in a red envelope are offered by parents to children. That night, all Chinese try to go to bed as late as possible, a guarantee of longevity. They call it “guarding the year”.

For 2 weeks, the Chinese new year is celebrated everywhere on the Reunion Island. Witness the dance of the dragons or the lion, follow the martial arts shows and you will also hear the firecrackers which ward off evil spirits. And the highlight of the show, the lantern festival! The lanterns are dropped and fill the sky with small orange circles.

For more than Holidays in Réunion consult our interactive map.