New year Photo | TrekEarth

Photographer’s Note

This picture was taken during the Chinese New Year Parade which is held every year (but not necessarily on the same date) in Vancouver's Chinatown.
The Chinese calendar is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. The lunar cycle is about 29.5 days. In order to "catch up" with the solar calendar the Chinese insert an extra month once every few years (seven years out of a 19-yearcycle). This is the same as adding an extra day on leap year. This is why, according to the solar calendar, the Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year.

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