This year, the Chinese New Year will be held on the 7th February 2008 and it's the Earth rat which will be celebrated throughout the year until 25th January 2009. 

Chinese New Year (nónglì xīnnián), also known as the Spring Festival, is the biggest festival for the Chinese communities across the world.  The term nónglì xīnnián literally means "new year's agricultural calendar" because it is celebrated according to the Chinese calendar which is based both on lunar and solar.  It is a time when one enjoys taking holidays to celebrate the New Year amongst family and friends.    

The Chinese New Year will start on the 7th February 2008 and end on the 25th January 2009.  The New Year 2008-2009, will be placed under the sign of the symbolic animal, "rat" and the cosmogonic element earth, hence it will be the year of the earth rat.  The Chinese New Year will be celebrated on Thursday 7th February 2008.  After the year 2007, under the sign of the pig or "fire pork," the Chinese calendar 2008 is now celebrating the rat.  The Chinese diaspora will celebrate year 4706 throughout the world.

Festivities will be held across many towns in Réunion Island.