Image Credit: By Made by Fanghong (Own work) [GFDL ] CC-BY-SA-3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

The joyous and colorful 2018 Chinese New Year celebrations will commence on February 16. Also known as Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, the fifteen-day event, which will end with the Lantern Festival on March 2, is the longest and most anticipated of all of China’s festivals. Associated with customs meant to ensure auspicious beginnings, it is also observed in Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Vietnam.