There’s a day during the year that I looked forward to the most. On par with Christmas day and my birthday – not for gifts and spending time with family –because more importantly, my parents let me skip school and I didn’t have to put in the extra effort and pretend to be sick. Chinese New Year is a particular important time of year for Chinese – traditionally the celebration lasts for 15 days – the first three days at statutory holidays in China where the country literally grinds to a halt where everyone is spending time with loved ones. Though we might not celebrate communism in the west, we do celebrate Chinese New Year, so if you’re down to party like it’s 4712, here are some things you need to know.