Chinese New Year 2019 – Embassy Closures

The 5th of February 2019 marks the beginning of Chinese New Year. During this period, there will be some temporary closures of government departments, with the Chinese Embassy in London closed on the 4th and 5th of February to signify the start of the celebrations.

What is Chinese New Year, and how is it celebrated?

2019 coincides with the Year of the Pig, the 12th and final sign of the Chinese Zodiac. Every New Year is marked by a different animal and comes at a different date each year, since it is based on the Lunar calendar. To mark the event, here are 7 interesting facts about Chinese New Year and how it’s celebrated!

• There are 12 signs in the Chinese Zodiac which are based on your year of birth, rather than day and month.
• There are 5 elements which cycle through the zodiac – water, wood, earth, fire, and gold.
• It’s said that when you enter your animal’s year, you should be extra careful as it’s considered unlucky. Since there are 12 animals, this works out as every twelfth year of your life!
• The colour red, which is strongly associated with this holiday, is intended to ward off any bad luck for that year.
• For those born in the Year of the Pig, the most compatible signs are the Tiger, Rabbit and Goat. The least is the Ox.
• According to Chinese tradition, being born in The Year of the Pig means you are generally very sociable, empathetic and good natured. This can sometimes make you a little too trusting however!
• Famous people born under the sign of the Pig: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Hillary Clinton, Julie Andrews, Stephen King and Amy Winehouse.

We wish all of our customers celebrating Chinese New Year a happy and prosperous year. If you are planning on travelling to China and require a visa, or legalisation of documents, you can find more information about these services here.