3 Ways to Celebrate this Lunar New Year
Remind me, what is Lunar New Year?
Lunar New Year is an important holiday for many people, especially in Asian countries like China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. In China, for example, Lunar New Year is as important as Christmas is in Western countries. It is a time for families to gather and celebrate another passing year and prepare for the year to come.
Just like Christmas, during Lunar New Year, families often travel to reunite with their extended family and visit home for the holidays. It is a time to catch up with all those distant relatives that one rarely talks to during the rest of the year.
How is Lunar New Year Celebrated?
Red Envelopes: It is a tradition in many Asian countries to give children or younger family members red envelopes filled with “lucky” money. It is similar to giving a Christmas gift in the Western world.
How Do I Participate? If you want to take part in this tradition, there are many shops in your local Chinatown or Koreatown, or even online, that sell red envelopes.
Good Food: The food is another great part of the Lunar New Year’s gatherings. Typical Chinese dishes usually consist of noodles and dumplings along with other starch and meat-heavy dishes (in Northern China), or seafood dishes (in Southern China). Another popular food is a sticky rice cake called Nian Gao (年糕), which can come in both sweet and savory varieties.
How Do I Participate? Check out your local Asian market for sticky rice cakes. They are usually found in the bakery section and come in many different flavors.
Events: Like other cultural celebrations around the world, Lunar New Year has various events and spectacles for people to take part in.
Lantern Festivals: On the last day of the celebration, there are often lantern festivals, which consist of lighting paper lanterns in ones home or putting them on display in honor of deceased family members.
Dragon or Lion Dances: You will often see these take place at a Lunar New Year parade, where a group of performers come together to form the body of a dragon or lion, dancing it up and down the street. There are many different types of dances, but a common one you will see is the “lettuce offering”. Someone will offer the dragon/ lion a head of lettuce or cabbage and the dragon/ lion will “eat” it. After “eating”, the lion will spit it out, which represents the lion spreading wealth, prosperity, and good luck.
How Do I Participate? Check out events in your area. Look for terms such as “Lunar New Year”, “Spring Festival”, “Lantern Festival”, or “Chinese New Year”.
A Final Note
This is a basic introduction to Lunar New Year from a Chinese perspective as many other Asian cultures and countries also celebrate Lunar New Year in their own ways.
Do you celebrate? Let us know how!
Additional Resources
For further information on this celebration, check out:
