People across Asia prepared for subdued Lunar New Year celebrations on Monday, citing fears about the coronavirus and virulent omicron strain, even as rising vaccination rates fueled optimism that the Year of the Tiger would usher in a return to normalcy.
The Lunar New Year, which falls on Tuesday, February 1st, is China’s most important yearly holiday. In a yearly cycle, each year is named after one of the twelve Chinese zodiac signs. After the Year of the Ox, comes the Year of the Tiger.
This will be the third New Year’s Eve spent in the shadow of the pandemic in a succession. China closed down Wuhan, a city of 11 million people, two days before the holiday in 2020, after the coronavirus was discovered there.
According to Our World in Data, 85 percent of Chinese people are now completely vaccinated, and despite government cautions, more Chinese are travelling domestically this year. Many individuals prepare for the celebration by purchasing red lanterns and other decorations for their houses, as well as food to commemorate the start of a new year.
The celebrations this year overlap with the Beijing Winter Olympics, which begin at the end of the weeklong holiday. The Chinese city has tightened safeguards in preparation for the athletic event in order to contain coronavirus epidemics.
The Games will be staged inside sealed-off “bubbles,” and organisers have stated that no tickets will be sold to the general public and only selected viewers would be permitted.
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