The world welcomed the Chinese Year of the Monkey on Sunday. Festivities and celebrations for the Spring Festival kicked off days before the event.

According to Chinese traditions, fireworks are lit as part of the celebration to scare away bad spirits, while parties are decorated in red and gold to symbolize wealth and happiness. The holiday is a period of mass migration, with millions of people traveling to be with their families. 

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Singapore has had its first nine nights of fireworks, with display scheduled for every night at 9:00 p.m. throughout the entire festival. Devotees also offered payer at Kwang Im Tho temple on Sunday. From Sydney to Lisbon, and New York and London, there were processions and fireworks to welcome the New Lunar Year.

In Surubaya, Indonesia, Cai Shen Ye, god of wealth, also handed out red envelopes of money to devotees during the New Year's celebrations at Hong San Ko Tee Temple. Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, worshipers gathered at temples to pray for good fortune this year.

On the eve of the Lunar New Year in Philippine's Chinatown, people flocked to celebrate and monkey-shaped balloons were offered. Red lanterns lit up Thean Hou temple in Kuala Lumpur. 

Also, many people were in attendance to see the lion dance in Yangon, Myanmar's Chinatown. In Yokohama's Chinatown in Japan, people counted-down to welcome the new year.

The Year of the Monkey is the ninth of the 12 animal signs in the Chinese zodiac calendar. Across the mainland, plastic monkeys can be seen across shopping centers and office buildings, while toy monkeys have been given away by government agencies.

Pretty much like a Monkey, everyone born this year are believed to be witty, intelligent and have a magnetic personality. Their personality traits include curiosity, mischievousness and cleverness, making them a bit naughty. Known for their playful nature, monkeys are skillful and renowned for making practical jokes.

TagsYear of the Monkey, Chinese New Year 2016, Spring festival, celebration, Lantern Festival, Chinatown