3 Traditions to Know About This Lunar New Year
What is Lunar New Year?
Lunar New Year is a celebration of the beginning of the Lunar calendar and begins with the first new moon of the lunar calendar and ends on the first full moon of the lunar calendar, 15 days later. This time of the year is celebrated in many different countries, including but not limited to: China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. It is also commonly referred to as Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival.
In 2023, Lunar New Year begins on January 22!
3 Traditions to Look For This New Year
Red Envelopes: This is a tradition where family members gift each other red envelopes filled with money, usually older members giving to younger members. It is similar to giving a Christmas gift in the Western world.
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. Check out a video of a lion dance here.
Year of the Rabbit
What does it mean to say 2023 is “the year of the Rabbit?” Great question.
This is based off the Chinese Zodiac. Each year is represented by an animal, and every person has their own zodiac animal based on the year they were born, similar to the western Zodiac signs. Each animal has their own personality traits and characteristics, and if the current year corresponds to your zodiac animal, it’s supposed to be a lucky year for you!
Are you a Rabbit? Check out this chart to find out.
新年快乐! Xīnnián kuàilè! Happy New Year!
Additional Resources
For further information on this celebration, check out:
