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Here are the names for all the full moons in 2023
The Lunar New Year begins Sunday, Jan. 22, ushering in the year of the water rabbit. The lunar calendar, used in both Chinese and Vietnamese cultures, is divided into 12 segments, with each assigned an animal sign.
The Chinese New Year celebration starts with the new moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later.According to myths, the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac were selected through a race. This race is meant to create a time measurement for the people. There could only be 12 winners, and in order to win, the animals had to cross a rapid current river and reach the finish line on the shore. There are many variations of this story. Some say that the Jade Emperor called a race of animals on his birthday to create the Chinese zodiac. Others say that it was the Buddha who did. The stories are essentially the same, excluding some minor details.Visit family: The oldest and most senior family members will be visited in order to strengthen family kinship. Also, guests are welcomed with sweets.Birthday of dog: After being offered sacrifices, the god of wealth leaves for heaven. People will see the deity off, wishing for a prosperous year and eating wonton resembling the shape of an ingot.Birthday of pig: People pay respects to the dead. Some believe evil spirits roam the earth on this day.Birthday of the god of wealth: Respect is paid to the god of wealth. All businesses reopen.Birthday of men: Is the birthday of ordinary or common men and celebrated with certain foods.Completion day: People have another family reunion dinner and a midnight prayer to the Jade Emperor.Birthday of jade emperor: Celebrate the birthday of emperor, believed to be ruler of all heavens and Earth.Slow down: Vegetarian foods are eaten to cleanse the digestive systems of all the rich foods.Lantern Festival Day: This marks the full moon after the spring festival and the new year. Another reunion dinner is held with lanterns and oranges being a large part of the celebrations. Sources: nationsonline, webexhibits, astrohoroscopes, travelchinaguide, VietHoroscope.com, creativeartsguild.org, chinahighlights.comMost years, there are 12 full moons — one for each month. But in 2023, there will be 13 full moons, with two occurring in August.The second full moon in one month is known as a blue moon, like the phrase “once in a blue moon,” according to NASA. Typically, full moons occur every 29 days, while most months in our calendar last 30 or 31 days, so the months and moon phases don’t always align. This results in a blue moon about every 2.5 years. The two full moons in August can also be considered supermoons, according to EarthSky. Definitions of a supermoon can vary, but the term indicates a full moon that is brighter and closer to Earth than normal and thus appears larger in the night sky.Some astronomers say the phenomenon occurs when the moon is within 90% of perigee — its closest approach to Earth in orbit. By that definition, the full moon for July will also be considered a supermoon event.
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