The 15 day long Chinese Lunar New Year festivities will draw to a close, with the Annual Lantern Festival - Yuanxiao Festival - heralding the first Full Moon of the Chinese New Year, in the Year of the Horse.
Read moreCULTURAL CUSTOMS :: 3rd LUNAR DAY
Have you had your fortune divined this year? Well today is the third lunar day and it’s the traditional day to consult the heavens. But what does a dog, a mouse, a red mouth, a wedding and staying in have to do with the third lunar day of the Spring Festival? Perplexed? I’ve always been intrigued with the symbolism of the colour Red, so in 2021 I pontificated what happens when Valentine’s Day and the third lunar day of the month coincided; also known as ‘Red Scarlet day’!
Read moreDragon and Lion Dances
Every year I try catch a DRAGON / LION DANCE (舞狮 wǔ shī) to mark the Lunar New Year. Spectacularly loud and boasting vivid colours, they are definitely an invigorating sight. It’s maybe a familiar sight to Western eyes but it draws a frown, followed by the covering of ears. But the deafening sound, is a necessary part of the tradition.
Find out why . . . .
Read moreSOLAR + LUNAR ECLIPSES IN CHINESE COSMOLOGY
Embroidered Court Robe Qing dynasty via Robert E.Tod. Public domain
Sol and and Luna’s allure have captivated nations and cultures since the dawn of time. And the mystical obscuring of either celestial body’s illumination continues to beguile us today. In times past, the phenomenon of eclipses must have been scary when playing out in our skies. We’ve unpacked the cosmology and folklore behind the ominous occurrences. And the upcoming New Moon marking the Fire Horse’s entrance is solar ring of Fire Eclipse on 17 Feb 2026!
Read moreCHINESE NEW YEAR'S EVE - Chuxi
Pic via Brioschi54, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
IIf January’s New Year resolutions have fizzled out, tune into the Chinese Lunar New Year as the Year of the Fire Horse makes its final transition on 17 Feb. 2026. Lunar New Year follows Moon (Luna) cycles therefore commencing under a New Moon. The upcoming lunation is the second New Moon AFTER the Winter Solstice which dictates the beginning of the Lunar New Year. It also kick starts the more widely known and celebrated of the Lunar New Year festivities - beginning a two week long Spring Festival. Li Chun is a Solar Festival marker which occurred on 4 Feb 2026 seeding the Chinese Solar New Year and Fire Horse official debut.
Read moreLughnasa + God of Light Lugh
It's time to celebrate the Polarity of Seasons again. Phenologists will appreciate, when the dog days of summer bring balmy humidity, I know my internal barometer is in sync with seasons! The dog days of Summer coupled with the end July (or Jan in S.H), are both calendar and celestial indicators; a midpoint point between Solstice and the next Equinox and the heliacal rising of Sirius the Dog star. This crucial time on the Celtic Wheel of the Year is a time of Harvesting nature’s bounty, known as Lughnasadh, an Autumnal festival marker.
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