It's the Year of the Rat!

Millions of people crowded onto trains and buses across China on Wednesday. They were hurrying home to be with their families for the country's most important holiday, Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival. Thursday marked the end of the Year of the Pig, and the beginning of the Year of the Rat.

But for a while, it looked as if severe winter weather in some regions of China would put a deep freeze on the celebrations. Due to dangerous conditions, airlines, railways and highways across the country were forced to shut down for the past few weeks. Many travellers were stranded and worried that they would not make it home for the holidays. Luckily, the crisis started winding down just in time for some roads and railways to re-open on Lunar New Year's Eve. More than one billion people worldwide celebrate the Lunar New Year.

In China, people from Beijing to Guangzhou enjoy a holiday. Businesses and government offices are closed. Many people go to temples to pray for good fortune for the future.

History of the holiday
The Lunar New Year is celebrated at the second new moon after the winter solstice. (The winter solstice is one of two times of the year when the sun is at its greatest distance from the equator. It is also the shortest day of the year.)

According to an ancient legend, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Lunar New Year. Twelve animals came, and Buddha named a year after each animal. The animals were: the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.

The Rat Pack
Buddha announced that people born in each animal's year would have some of that animal's personality. If you were born in 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984 or 1996, you were born in the year of the Rat. People who were born in these years are believed to be charming, clever, hard working and outgoing. They are said to get along best with people born under the year of the Ox, Dragon, Snake, Monkey, Tiger, Boar and Dog.

Festivals, lions and feasts
On Lunar New Year's Eve, the Chinese celebrate with fireworks, family gatherings and festivals. One of the most popular ways to celebrate the holiday is with the lion dance. The lion is considered a holy animal. During celebrations, dancers dressed as lions (or holding up elaborate paper lions in the air) perform to bring good luck to the people they visit at their homes or businesses. People often wear red, which symbolizes fire. Legend has it that fire can drive away bad luck.
The 15-day New Year season is celebrated with firecrackers, dragon dances and visits to friends and family. The celebrations end with the Lantern Festival, when brightly coloured lamps are hung in parks around China.