Why am I not a Ram?

Chinese New Year is something everyone hears about, but like many other cultural events it is often misunderstood or lacks concrete understanding of the customs and traditions that go with it. First off, you have to understand that Chinese New Year does actually fall on the first of the first month of the year. It is just that the calendar doesn’t follow the same patters as of the Gregorian calendar. The Lunisolar Calendar actually has 12 months, but instead of having an extra day in a leap year, it has an extra month every few years. Each month is a constant 30 days.
So Chinese New Year doesn’t follow the Gregorian calendar. What difference does it make? It makes a difference to those who are born in January or February. It is entirely possible that you may not be a Ram, Horse, Snake or Dragon as you have been told to believe. You could actually be part of the year before.  Let’s say for example you were born on January 20th, 1991. You would assume you are a Ram, when in fact you are a Horse(‘s Ass) because Chinese New Year fell on February 15th that year.
It is said that Chinese New Year is marked by the fight against a mythical beast, the Nien. It came around yearly and terrorised the villagers until one year when a little boy dressed in red,  scared it away by screaming at the top of his lungs out of fear. This has led to the belief that the beast is afraid of the colour red and loud noises. Therefore most families will decorate their houses in red and place fire crackers near their door, so as to scare away the beast.
Each family celebrates Chinese New Year a little differently, but there is a general idea. Before Chinese New Year the house should be cleaned “of the dirt from the last year” – a fresh start if you will. On Chinese New Year’s Eve, you are forbidden to clean, so as not to sweep away the luck of the New Year. It is also customary to get new clothes for the New Year.
Now on to food: most Chinese families have a family dinner on the eve of the New Year. This meal is huge as it must feed the family for the New Year’s day as well. It is considered unlucky to light fires and use knives. Some families also do not have meat on this day because it is said that this will increase longevity (for some families this is the case for the first and fifteenth of every month). Fish is often also served on New Year’s Eve as it is a symbol of riches and abundance; fish is also carried over to the next day as a symbol of carrying last years riches to this coming year. Another food that is common is New Year cake, because its name (Nian Gao)  sounds very similar to the words for High Year. It is therefore often exchanged between family and friends. It is also customary to give red envelopes to junior members of the family, mainly teenagers and children. They are often decorated with symbols of luck and wealth.
Chinese New Year festivities can last up to 15 days. The common days are the first few, as on the first and second day of the New Year it is customary to visit family. The third and the fourth day are prone to argument, and therefore people avoid visiting family and friends if possible. These two days are often used to visit the deceased. On the 15th day of the New Year there is a full moon and people celebrate the Lantern Festival, marking an end of the New Year festivities.