Why Is the Lunar New Year Celebrated? Here's Everything to Know About This Joyous Occasion
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."
In the United States, Americans ring in the New Year when the clock strikes midnight on December 31. But in Eastern Asian countries, the Lunar New Year (also known as Chinese New Year) is celebrated between January 21 and February 20. This year, the Lunar New Year takes place on Saturday, February 10.
The reason for the differing date is because different parts of the world abide by various calendars. The U.S. follows the Gregorian calendar, a solar dating system that aligns the months with Earth’s journey around the sun. Eastern Asian countries (most notably China, Korea, and Vietnam) follow the Lunar calendar, which consists of synodic months adhering to the complete phases of the moon.
The Lunar New Year marks the first new moon of the calendar and is commemorated with joyous feasts and festivals. To celebrate this new beginning, here's everything to know about the Lunar New Year and how it's commemorated across the world.
2024 Is the Year of the Dragon
Each year in the Lunar Calendar is associated with an animal in the Chinese zodiac. These animals include the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. This year marks the year of the dragon.
The dragon is the only mythical creature included in the zodiac. In Chinese folklore, Chinese culture, dragons breathe clouds, not fire, and their physical build comprises different body parts akin to other animals (i.e., a head similarly shaped to that of a camel, the neck of a snake, and the paws of a tiger).
How Is Lunar New Year Celebrated in China?
While Americans celebrate New Year’s Eve on December 31 and New Year’s Day on January 1, totaling just 2 days of festivities, that is not the case everywhere.
The Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival as it is called in China, is a 15-day event, according to Shirley Chock, owner and executive director of the Connecticut-based Aiping Tai Chi. It begins with a feast on Chinese New Year’s Eve (which lands on February 9 this year) and concludes with a Lantern Festival on day 15 (which will take place on February 25).
During this time, it is customary for people to wear red and light firecrackers to ward off evil spirits and invite prosperity into their lives. What’s more, dumplings and sticky rice cakes are enjoyed throughout the celebrations — but not just because they’re delicious.
“Dumplings resemble the shape of ingots which were used as currency in ancient China and are thought to manifest additional prosperity,” Chock explains. The word for sticky rice cakes, nian gao, “has the same sound as ‘higher year’ and is thought to manifest an even better year.”
How Lunar New Year Is Celebrated in Different Countries
Korea
In Korea, the Lunar New Year is called Seollal, and, unlike in China, the holiday is only a 3-day event. Families participate in what is known as the charye ritual by preparing food and serving it to their ancestors in hopes that they will, in exchange, grant them blessings for the new year.
Simultaneously, everyone in the family ages one year at the start of celebrations. Why is this? In Korean culture, you have an international age (which increases on your birthday) and a Korean age (beginning at one on the day you’re born and increasing by one year every Lunar New Year).
Vietnam
Lunar New Year is called Tết in Vietnam, and it's also a family-centric holiday. Families go to the temple together to pray for good luck in the upcoming year, tidy their houses to ward off any negative energy, and pay off old debts to ensure the new year starts with a clean slate.
Singapore
Singapore knows how to party for the Lunar New Year — with lots and lots of treats. Food is a vital aspect of Singapore’s celebrations, and some of the most commonly enjoyed delicacies include nian gao, pineapple tarts, and yusheng, a raw fish salad. Family members exchange red envelopes filled with money, and it’s customary to light incense at the temple to honor one's ancestors.
Taiwan
The people of Taiwan celebrate the Lunar New Year with festivities that are more low-key compared to other countries. Families get together to share a meal and treats (dumplings and pineapple typically have a spot in the spread), exchange red envelopes, and set off fireworks in their backyards.
Philippines
Lunar New Year customs in the Philippines are joyous and whimsical. When the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s, children and adults alike jump up and down because legend has it, this tradition will help them grow taller.
They also partake in Media Noche (a midnight feast filled with round-shaped fruits representative of good fortune), in which they enjoy sticky rice dishes to help bind them together. You’ll also find many people wearing polka dots as a sign of prosperity, while fireworks and lights around the house are lit to ward away evil spirits.
Lunar New Year's Gift-Giving Traditions
Hong Bao
The signature gifts of the Lunar New Year celebrations are little red packets containing money. These are called “hong bao” in Mandarin, “lai si” in Cantonese, “li xi” in Vietnamese, and “sebaetdon” in Korean, Chock explains. They’re given to children by adults, and little ones love receiving these small fortunes.
Pairs Are Preferred
Even numbers symbolize harmony and balance in Chinese culture, which is why all gifts exchanged throughout the Lunar New Year celebrations are given in pairs.
“Giving an odd number of something with the number 4 in it is forbidden,” Says Sofiia Kramar, a Chinese course advisor at Promova. “This number is associated with death.”
Shoes and Watches Are Not Allowed
In addition to odd numbers being on the outs, Kramar says another Lunar New Year gift-giving tradition is avoiding the presentation of a pair of shoes or a watch.
“In Chinese, [the word] ‘shoes’ is pronounced almost the same as ‘evil,’ while a watch emphasizes the fleetingness of time,” she explains.
You Might Also Like
