Chinese, from an unknown ancient time, started to use animals as a signal of year to calculate our age. This year is a dog year which will not be repeated within twelve years. In the next eleven years, there are other different animals to represent age each year.
When we, Chinese, wish to ask the age of another person, we ask in a way: “What is the animal’s year you were born.” If he says at dog year, we will then know he is a person of thirteen, twenty five, or thirty seven according to his looking by our judgment.
Today is the first day of a dog year, a new year today. Chinese is very serious to celebrate New Year, especially in the ancient days in villages. All villagers celebrated fifteen days as their holiday. Even today in the villages, a celebration of seven days are still maintained.
In Hong Kong, a modern city today, people still have three to four days as their holiday. Relatives and friends whom they may not meet each other in a year will use these New Year holidays to greet each other to renew their relations or friendships.
Even now Chinese also apply calendar year in their daily life, but still Chinese will never neglect the old fashion Chinese New year.