January 18, 2024
celebrating Lunar New Year at Peninsula Hot Springs
Written by Amelia
Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year, acclaims the arrival of the spring season and the beginning of a new year in the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar. Celebrated amongst Chinese and Asian cultures, Lunar New Year is a time to assemble with family and express the best of wishes for the new year ahead. Whilst the dates of the holiday vary depending on the cycle of the moon, this year’s celebrations will begin on 29 January and conclude on 12 February.
Chinese zodiac, or shengxiao, is represented by 12 zodiac animals, each symbolising its own understood characteristics and intuitions. 2025 marks the year of the Snake, a symbol of wisdom, abundance, prosperity and transformation in Chinese culture. Along with the representation of an animal zodiac, the years each cycle through the five elements of nature; Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal. During the 60-year calendrical cycle, 2025 is the year of ‘Wood’, which in Chinese culture is symbolic of growth and development.
Taking place on the sixteenth and last day of the Lunar New Year celebrations is the Lantern Festival, where on this night homes and public sites are lit up with the spectacular sight of colourful lanterns, a symbol of reconciliation, peace and forgiveness. In Chinese tradition, families and communities gather and watch as dragon and lion dancers’ parade in the lantern lit night and as fireworks illuminate the skies in celebration of a new year filled with prosperity.
In recognition of this special calendar event, we invite you to join us each year at Peninsula Hot Springs. Across the course of the Lunar New Year holiday, we will host a series of events which promote and rejoice the Chinese festivities as well as celebrate our connection to Chinese and Asian cultures in our offering of globally inspired bathing traditions.
Our programs are made up of complimentary events to pair with your bathing experience. Past programs have featured Qigong, Lion dancing, Gala Performances and special film screenings.
