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As all Hong Kong people know, we are about to celebrate Chinese or Lunar New Year - the departure of the Year of the Pig and the start of the Year of the Rat.
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There is some debate about what we should call this festival in English. Some people call it Lunar New Year in recognition of the fact that Vietnamese, Koreans and other East Asian communities also celebrate it.
These countries have their own names for the holiday.
Vietnamese call it Tet, which is short for "first day's feast." Koreans call it Eumnyeok Seollal, which simply means lunar new year (Yangnyeok Seollal means solar new year - for January 1 in the Western calendar).
The Chinese traditionally have just called it "new year" in whichever dialect used. But after the 1911 Revolution, the new republic's government introduced the Western calendar and encouraged people to call the holiday Spring Festival.
In Hong Kong, the term Chinese New Year probably reflects the wording British administrators and residents used during colonial times. If you want to be inclusive - and indeed accurate -- Lunar New Year is the best choice.
The Year of the Pig is the last year of the cycle of 12 animal years in the Chinese zodiac (the system does come from ancient China).
As the beginning of a new cycle, the Year of the Rat is considered to be a time of rejuvenation when we can all make a fresh start. Let's hope it is!
Bernard Charnwut Chan is chairman of The Jockey Club CPS Advisory Committee
