Hollywood Casino is the place to be this Sunday, February 3, to ring in Chinese New Year.
In an effort to wish the entire Chinese community on the island a Prosperous and Happy Chinese New Year, Hollywood Casino will be hosting a special celebration that includes a buffet and raffles. The buffet starts at 9:00pm. The raffles will start at 10:30pm with US $268 up for grabs. At 11:30pm, $688 will be up for grabs; at 12 midnight $888 (Baccarat Room); at 12:30am $1,888 and at 1:00am $888 (Baccarat Room).
The actual Chinese New Year is on Tuesday, February 5, and this will be the Year of the Pig. The pig is the twelfth of all zodiac animals. According to one myth, the Jade Emperor said the order would be decided by the order in which they arrived to his party. Pig was late because he overslept. Another story says that a wolf destroyed his house. He had to rebuild his home before he could set off. When he arrived, he was the last one and could only take twelfth place.
The Pig is also associated with the Earthly Branch and the hours 9:00pm to 11:00pm. In terms of yin and yang, the Pig is yin. In Chinese culture, pigs are the symbol of wealth. Pigs have a beautiful personality and are blessed with good fortune in life. Former years of the Pig are 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007 – and now 2019.
Chinese New Year is celebrated by more than 20% of the world. It’s the most important holiday in China and to Chinese people all over.
Chinese New Year is also known as the Spring Festival; in China, you'll hear it being called “chunjie.” It’s still very wintry, but the holiday marks the end of the coldest days. People welcome spring and what it brings along: planting and harvests, new beginnings and fresh starts.
You can also call it the Lunar New Year, because countries such as North and South Korea and Vietnam celebrate it as well. And because the Spring Festival goes according to the lunar calendar, there's no set date for Chinese New Year. According to the lunar calendar, the Spring Festival is on January 1, and lasts until the 15th (the full moon). Unlike western holidays, such as Thanksgiving or Christmas, when you try to calculate it with the solar (Gregorian) calendar, the date is all over the place.
