On Monday people all over the world are celebrating the Chinese New Year, a year that this time round is represented by the dragon, the water dragon, to be precise. Since the Chinese calendar is lunisolar, the exact day on which the Chinese new year is heralded, varies in the Western calendar.

Traditionally it is considered to be the point in time when the winter season gives way to the spring season. Chinese New Year is the most important and the longest in the Chinese calendar. Festivities last for 15 days and culminate in the traditional lantern festival.

On 10 February 2013 the year of the dragon will then come to an end, to be replaced by the year of the snake.