Communities in China and across Asia have been celebrating the lunar new year and the start of the Year of the Rooster.
Businesses and government offices across the continent were closed on Wednesday to mark the beginning of year 4072 in the Chinese calendar.
However, celebrations among ethnic Chinese in the Indonesian province of Aceh were somewhat muted as many gathered at temples to mourn the dead from December's tsunami disaster.
What are you doing to celebrate the lunar new year? What do you think the Year of the Rooster will hold?
This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.
Your comments:
Last year my husband and I celebrated Chinese New Year in China with my relatives in Wuxi, a small town close to Shanghai. He was deeply amazed by those food on offer some of it he had never heard of and he even got a big red envelope from my aunty. You cannot image how surprised he was. This year, we will celebrate the Year of the Rooster with local Chinese community. We will have a big celebration in Oxford Town Hall on 13 Feb and we will have a buffet to start with, then we will watch Unicorn Dances and other interesting performance. We cannot wait for this Sunday.
Maggie Wang, Oxford, England
 |  Chinese New Year in London Chinatown is the most vibrant, lively experience of the year |
Chinese New Year in London Chinatown is the most vibrant, lively experience of the year. Anyone who hasn't been is seriously missing out! Go celebrate.
Chris Lo, London, UK Took my colleagues to my family's place for a buffet of immense proportions. The family had decorated everything in traditional lanterns and banners and really pushed the boat out with the food. We all sat down and enjoyed a lovely meal consisting of 20 different dishes. At the end we exchanged gifts and went on out happy way, bellies full. Gung Hay Fat Choy!
Dozo, UK, Wolverhampton
Year of the rooster, China will grow very quickly for the next 20 years lets hope the rooster will not bring us the bad luck most of the Asian community have predicted. Bird flu springs to mind, Gung hay fat choy to all.
Tony, Newcastle UK
Chinese New Year is just like Christmas for westerners. It's really a family thing. A traditional way to spend Chinese New Year eve is three generations of the big family stay together and have a big dinner. It happened when I was a kid. After spending seven years by myself outside of China, I don't have the concept of celebrating Chinese New Year. Wish all the best of the best in the year of Rooster. Rooster is full of energy will bring you all good luck!
Sally, Montreal
My Chinese New Year is very red. Red lanterns, red packets, red clothes, red notes and bak kwa (barbequed meat). I love the lion dance performances in school and my favourite part is the yusheng (raw fish salad) so I can eat all the "gold bars".
Sonia , Singapore
My spouse and I, who are American, live in the Dutch area of Pennsylvania, pristine and charming with covered bridges and horse-drawn buggies. Even here we will go to a restaurant run by immigrants from Hong Kong and enjoy a great meal. Roosters rule!!
Sharon P, USA
Chinatown in Vancouver is the second largest in North America. On the weekend, my friends and I are planning to celebrate by heading out to the annual Chinatown parade. We are: three Norwegians, a Chinese-Canadian, two Senegalese, a Pole, and a Tanzanian! Talk about multiculturalism.
Eveline, Vancouver, Canada
We moved to Taiwan from the UK three years ago and the more I learn about Chinese New Year, the more I love it! Our door is festooned with spring couplets, and we did follow some traditions such as giving the house a good clean, allowing our daughter to stay up as long as she wanted on New Year's Eve, and not losing our temper no matter how much we were provoked by a cantankerous 3-year-old! There's a very relaxed, happy, friendly atmosphere in town and it really does give one a sense of renewal.
Sarah Daniel, Taichung, Taiwan
| I burn incense and make offerings of flowers and fruit to my ancestors on the eve of the lunar new year |
My parents immigrated to the US from South Vietnam in 1979. Although I was born in South Dakota, the importance of Chinese New Year was always present in my home. So to this day, I burn incense and make offerings of flowers and fruit to my ancestors on the eve of the lunar new year, walk the perimeter of my apartment for good fortune, and eat "banh chung," small cakes of sticky rice and mung bean, for health and happiness for the coming year.
Kim Ha, Minneapolis, USA Wear red, get drunk, eat well and sleep
Jah , Mae Hong Song, Thailand
This Chinese New Year is extra special, because I am near graduation. So, the term "new year" marks new beginnings for me. I hope good luck, new opportunities and fun-filled adventures will come my way. Even though my family resides in the other side of Canada, I wish them good luck, good cheers, and safety. And to everyone, I hope they feel more "spirited" in the years to come.
Sze(-Kit) Ying , Windsor, ,Ontario, Canada
The run up to the New Year has been very active. People having been cleaning houses and businesses thoroughly. I have seen many fireworks and heard many bangers. Walking around the streets, New Year good luck posters and roosters are everywhere. I was even invited to a lovely family meal and watched the children happily receive their lucky money red envelopes. New Year's day was quiet and peaceful...a rarity in Taiwan.
Scott, Feng Yuan, Taiwan
I am in Vietnam. We have the same tradition of Lunar New Year - Tet - just like the Chinese. The streets are quite, people gather for drinking, eating, gambling...It is somewhat boring. Tet lasts three days and in the following days, people go to pray at pagodas for a month long. Everything seems idle while the world keeps moving on...
Loc Pham, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
| It's just not the same without family |
Chinese New Year seems like a far-away memory of happy childhood days now that I have been living abroad from my family for almost ten years. It's just not the same without family. Those of you out there who are with your family should count your blessings!
Sue, Toronto, Canada I've lived in Britain since the age of 5 after moving here from Hong Kong, not really experienced a proper Chinese New Year before, but this year seems different, being in London with its diverse mix, one can easily find a superb atmosphere in which to celebrate the year of the Rooster.
Robert Liu, London
The traditions for most families during New Year is to have a banquet with family on the eve, receive or give red envelopes on New Year day, and gamble with friends and relatives on a game of Majong. May the luck be with all of us.
Mark, Los Angeles, CA., USA
The world is really getting smaller: non-Chinese people are now also celebrating Chinese New Year, just by gathering together and eating Chinese food or by participating in dragon parades across the world. Many people in China during Christmas exchange gifts as well!
Thomas, Paris
Our family tradition is having dinner with the whole family. This year, we added another seat for my wife, and my son will be born a Rooster this month. New tradition food includes shark fin soup, lobster, crab, sea cucumber, and shrimp. Later, its time to give the red envelopes!
Mark, Los Angeles, CA., USA
The Year of the Rooster will always be special to me as my first baby boy was born at 0002 this morning, becoming the first baby born on the new year in Hong Kong.
Anthony Brooker, Hong Kong Our family will be celebrating tonight with various Chinese foods. We have two adopted children from China and Korea. The house is decorated brightly to celebrate the Year of the Rooster.
Steve Liebetrau, Akron, Iowa, USA
I am a 21-year-old Chinese man in Hong Kong. To me, Chinese New Year in the modern days has lost most of its meaning: rest.
Christopher Lo, Hong Kong
This is my third Chinese New Year away from home. I'm very homesick. Luckily I have a bunch of friends and my sister here with me. Makes things better. We had a reunion dinner last night at a Chinese restaurant and it was quite cool. I have to be at the office and just don't feel like working. Well, I wish everyone a very happy new year.
Leong, Gibraltar
The Chinese New Year is a time for families to get together and a chance for family relationships to bond. The true meaning of the festival is to spend the precious few days getting to know your family and friends a little better.
Henry, Singapore
| We sang in the garden at midnight whilst waving sparklers |
Our friend Min invited us all over and cooked an amazing banquet for us. We learned mandarin phrases, and we sang in the garden at midnight whilst waving sparklers. Other friends are helping out with the celebrations in the city centre. Part of the fun of living in Leicester is getting to enjoy the festivities of many cultures.
Claire, Leicester, UK
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