Everything to Know About Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year Traditions
Across Asia and the Asian diaspora, Lunar New Year, also commonly known as Chinese New Year, is the most widely celebrated and most important holiday. It marks the start of a new year based on the lunar calendar, a dating system that’s based on the monthly cycle of the moon’s phases. “Not unlike the western New Year, Lunar New Year is about re-birth and a fresh start to the year. It’s a celebration of family, good will, and love,” David Uy, Executive Director of the Chinese American Museum in Washington D.C., explains.
“It is common to refer to the holiday as ‘Lunar New Year’ because it is celebrated in so many places, but both names refer to the same traditions and holiday,” Uy adds. Lunar New Year 2023 falls on Sunday, January 22 and is usually celebrated over a multi-day period. Over 1 billion people take part in the holiday’s festivities in countries around the world, according to The Washington Post, including China, Taiwan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and the United States. Here’s everything to know about Lunar New Year and its traditions that have been celebrated for generations.
What is the meaning of the Lunar New Year?
Lunar New Year celebrates new beginnings and is observed to “usher in good health, happiness, and good fortune for the new year,” Ying Yen, Executive Director at the New York Chinese Cultural Center in New York City, shares. Although it typically falls in the winter months, some time between January 21 and February 20, Lunar New Year is also meant to “welcome the arrival of spring,” Uy says.
The holiday does not follow the solar-based calendar, which recognizes New Year’s Day on January 1. Rather, it’s based on the lunar calendar, which means that the date of the New Year varies a bit from year to year. “While businesses and everyday life in Asia follow the western calendar, many traditions and holidays are still rooted in the lunar calendar,” Uy explains.
What animal sign is celebrated this Lunar New Year?
Each year in the Lunar calendar is represented by one of 12 zodiac animals: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, or pig. “Each of twelve zodiac symbols are all animals that represent different characteristics and future,” Uy explains.
2023 is the Year of the Rabbit, which “symbolizes grace, beauty, calm, and peace,” he says. The rabbit also represents patience and prosperity, Yen adds.
“The year of the rabbit happens every 12 years, so if you were born in 1999 or 2011, this is your birth year,” Uy says. “But regardless of when you are born, you can celebrate the year of the rabbit.”
What are the traditions of the Lunar New Year?
There are a number of traditions that bring family and friends together every Lunar New Year. Uy explains that in China and some parts of Asia, most businesses close and work stops for two weeks, so people can celebrate and travel home. “A central part of celebrating the new year is to return home,” he says.
It’s also a ritual to clean your house in preparation for the new year. “For the Chinese, it is customary for families to thoroughly clean the house before New Year’s Day in order to sweep away any ill-fortune from the previous year and to make way for good luck in the new year,” Yen explains. Some will also purchase new clothes to symbolize a fresh start.
Red is the color most associated with Lunar New Year, as it’s considered a symbol of prosperity and good fortune, so “decorating your home with red paper cuttings, lanterns and flowers [is] also very popular,” Yen says.
Other customs include fireworks, performances of lion dances and red ribbon dances, and gifting red envelopes with “real or symbolic money,” Uy says. “Typically, adults give these red envelopes to children with money inside to bring good luck,” Yen adds. Placing food and incense on altars as a way of remembering and showing respect to ancestors is also common, Uy shares.
What foods are traditionally eaten during the Lunar New Year?
“Large, generous meals dominate throughout the holiday as family gathers,” Uy says. While everyone’s celebration is unique, Lunar New Year gatherings typically include sweet dumplings, rice cakes, fish, and citrus fruits. Certain foods are also eaten for their symbolic meaning.
“People eat long noodles to symbolize longevity and Chinese dumplings that resemble ancient Chinese money to bring good fortune,” Yen adds.
As people come together for Lunar New Year celebrations worldwide, Uy teaches an important greeting in Mandarin Chinese: Xīnnián kuàilè – (say: shin-nyen kwhy-ler) – Happy New Year!
You Might Also Like
