Year of the Rabbit: A look into 2023 (3)

Illustration: Kou Jie/People's Daily Online

2023: The year of the rabbit, celebrated by a quarter of the global population

Chinese New Year is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture, and has strongly influenced lunar new year celebrations of its neighbors, including the Korean New Year, as well as celebrations in Okinawa. It is also celebrated worldwide in regions and countries that houses significant overseas Chinese, especially in Southeast Asia.

More than 2 billion of the world's 8 billion population will celebrate Lunar New Year in 2023. Countries that have public holidays during Lunar New Year include China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, South Korea, Malaysia, the DPRK, Singapore and Brunei.

Spring Festival is a time for family reunion. It is customary to pay your friends and family a visit during the Spring Festival. Red envelopes filled with money are traditionally given to children and unmarried young relatives on Lunar New Year. Every year, billions of red envelopes are distributed among Chinese families worldwide. Each envelope is filled with cash, representing prosperity and luck for the following year.