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Celebrating Lunar New Year around the world

Asian people in Canada and around the world are celebrating Lunar New Year, which begins Sunday.

Observed by over a billion, it's a time for family reunions, feasts and lucky money

An animation gif shows four stills of shoppers browsing for decorations in Jakarta, Indonesia; a packed train station in Shanghai as people leave the city to visit family; a cyclist riding by lantern and rabbit decorations in Malaysia; and a person visiting at a Buddhist temple in Richmond, B.C.
An animation GIF shows shoppers browsing ahead of Lunar New Year in Jakarta, Indonesia; a packed Shanghai train station as people depart to visit family; a cyclist riding by festive decorations in Malaysia; and a worshipper at a Buddhist temple in Richmond, B.C. (Tatan Syuflana/The Associated Press, Kevin Frayer/Getty Images, Hasnoor Hussain/Reuters, Ben Nelms/CBC)

Chinese Lunar New Year begins Sunday, according to the lunisolar calendar. And this year it's the Year of the Rabbit one of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac.

Observed by over a billion people worldwide, the major holiday,also known as Spring Festival, is not only celebrated by people of Chinese descent but also those ofEast Asian cultures.

With China lifting its zero COVID policy last month, many aretravellingto visit familyfor the first time since the pandemic began. Here's a look at how people are marking thenew year, traditionally a time forfamily gatherings, feasts and fireworks.

Mass movement of people

Travellers wait for trains at a packedShanghai Hongqiao Railway Station during the peak travel rush ahead of Lunar New Year in mid-January.

People pack at crowded train station in Shanghai.

(Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

Passengers board a trainat the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul on Friday.

People board a train in Seoul ahead of Lunar New Year.

(Ahn Young-joon/The Associated Press)

One of Canada's largest Lunar New Year parades was held Sunday in Vancouver. Among the many attendees was Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative LeaderPierre Poilievre.

A parade for Lunar New Year is seen.
Dancers perform during a parade.
A politician poses with a child for a photo.

(Genevive Lasalle/Radio-Canada)

Hanging red lanterns

Red lanterns, a symbol of hope and a brighter future, are ubiquitous this time of year.Here, aman walks past trees decorated with lanterns at apark in Beijing on Friday.

A man wearing a face mask walks past trees decorated with lanterns ahead of Lunar New Year in Beijing.

(Mark Schiefelbein/The Associated Press)

Drivers wait ona street decorated withlanternsin Bangkok's Chinatown on Thursday.

Vehicles idle beneath a street decorated by red lanterns ahead of Lunar New Year in Bangkok.

(Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters)

A man walks byfestive lanterns in Taipei, Taiwan,on Wednesday.

A man walks by lantern decorations ahead of Lunar New Year in Taipei, Taiwan.

(Sam Ye/AFP/Getty Images)

Visiting temples

Worshippers light incense and offer prayers, believed to bring good luck for the year, at the International Buddhist Temple in Richmond, B.C., on Friday.

A woman burns incense and prays at a Buddhist temple in Richmond, B.C., to mark Lunar New Year.

(Ben Nelms/CBC)

A woman burns incense and offers prayers to mark the Lunar New Year at a Buddhist temple in Richmond, B.C.

(Ben Nelms/CBC)

A manpraysin Manila, Philippines,on Jan. 14.

A man offers prayers in front of a niche on a street in Manila's Chinatown.

(Kevin Tristan Espiritu/AFP/Getty Images)

Holiday preps

People browse for ornamentsat a shop inManila on Friday.

Shoppers browse for ornaments at a shop in Manila's Chinatown ahead of Lunar New Year.

(Ted Aljibe/AFP/Getty Images)

Women shopfor decorations at a market inJakarta, Indonesia, onJan. 12.

Shoppers browse for Lunar New Year decorations at a market in Jakarta's Chinatown.

(Tatan Syuflana/The Associated Press)

Year of the Cat, too

Kim Phan Nguyn-Stone, pictured with her daughter in Vancouver, is excited about marking the Lunar New Year. Theyare among the many Vietnamese Canadians celebratingthe arrival ofTt Qu Mo(Year of the Cat).

A mother with her eight-year-old daughter at their home with a wall decorated to celebrate Lunar New Year, which in Vietnam marks the Year of the Cat.

(Ben Nelms/CBC)

Like the Chinese, the Vietnamese lunar calendar runs on a 12-year cycle, with each year corresponding to a zodiac animal. Here,people enjoyice cream next to a large cat statuein Hanoi, Vietnam, on Tuesday.

People sit near a giant statue of a cat in Hanoi ahead of Lunar New Year.

(Nhac Nguyen/AFP/Getty Images)

In Victoria, James Le, who holds a cat figurine a gift from his mother says the zodiac animal is an important part of their identity.

A man holds a cat figurine in a closeup outside in Victoria.

(Mike McArthur/CBC)

Gifting fruits

Tangerines, clementines and kumquats are traditionally given for prosperity and good health. Here, customersshop for tangerine treesin Hong Kong.

Customers shop for tangerine trees ahead of the Lunar New Year in Hong Kong.

(Tyrone Siu/Reuters)

People walk past tangerine treesfor salein Manila's Chinatown district on Jan.14.

An Asian family walks by tangerine plants for sale.

(Kevin Tristan Espiritu/AFP/Getty Images)

Pastries and snacks

The Lunar New Year's Eve meal is considered the most important meal of the year. Here, avendorsells traditional Chinese snacks in Yangon's Chinatown district in Myanmar ahead of the holiday.

A vendor sells traditional snacks in Yangon's Chinatown in Myanmar ahead of the Lunar New Year.

(AFP/Getty Images)

Snacks are laid out for a celebration in Charlottetown onJan. 15 where about500 people gathered.

Food is displayed at a buffet for Lunar New Year in Charlottetown where about 500 people gathered.

(Tony Davis/CBC)

A worker packs a new year gift box with traditional pastries at a Daoxiangcun, one of the best-known Chinese bakeries in Beijing, on Jan. 14.

A shop worker packs a box of traditional pastries at a bakery in Beijing.

(Caroline Chen/The Associated Press)

Lion dances

An important tradition,a lion dance is saidto bring prosperity and good luck for the coming year.Young people perform a lion dance at Pondok Indah shopping mall in Jakarta on Friday.

Young people perform a lion dance at a mall ahead of Lunar New Year in Jakarta, Indonesia.

(Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana/Reuters)

The Vancouver Lion Dance Association performs Lunar New Year routines choreographed to portray a lion's quest.

Two lion costumes-- one yellow and one red-- rehearse a lion dance routine for Lunar New Year.

(Mike Zimmer/CBC)

A dragon dance performance is seenin Bangkok earlier this week.

People perform in a lion dance ahead of Lunar New Year in Bangkok.

(Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters)