January 22 Chinese New Year

Handy Chinese Year Calculator

The Chinese New Year is a lunar festival that falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice. However, not always. The need to keep the lunar and the solar years in some sort of sync means they add in intercalary months from time to time, in which case the Chinese New year will fall on the third new moon after the winter solstice.

If you look at the chart you will see this is the year of the Rabbit.

Reconstruction of Dark age London

For details of the next walk

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December 27th – Saturnalia, Chinese Solstice and Medieval New Year Gifts from the British Museum

Here is a short video from the British Museum on seasonal customs. It includes details of Martial’s gift list; radishes for Saturnalia in a Vindolanda letter from a master to his slave; the Bishop of Salisbury’s New Year Gift purchases of 72 Rings, 2 gold broaches, gold and jet beads – all to be given away, and dumplings for the Chinese Solstice.

I’m now going to see all four generations of my family for a Christmas get together. Dad aged 95, a whole set of great grandchildren, and generations in between.

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