Millions of people around the world celebrated Lunar New Year on Feb. 16.
Lasting 15 days, the holiday is also called Spring Festival or Chinese New Year, but it’s observed by several other countries, including, but not limited to, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.
The festival starts at the turn of the new year according to the Chinese lunisolar calendar. In the Gregorian calendar of Western nations, it falls between Jan. 21 and Feb. 19. The Chinese calendar also includes the animal zodiac, which cycles every 12 years. This year will be the year of the dog.
The origins of the Lunar New Year are unclear, but most people agree that it began during the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600 BC-1000 BC).
Legend has it that a mythic monster, Nian, terrorized early Chinese villagers at every new year. After discovering that Nian feared the color red and loud noises, they hung red banners and red lanterns, wore red clothing and lit firecrackers to fend off the beast.
From then on, red decorations and firecrackers, symbolizing luck, happiness and fortune, became a Lunar New Year tradition.
But red decorations and firecrackers aren’t the only Lunar New Year customs.
Even before the new year, families prepare by cleaning their homes, which removes evil spirits and bad luck. In homes that practice Buddhism or Taoism, people clean and decorate their home shrines, paying homage to their ancestors and household deities. People are also expected to settle debts, buy new clothes and cut their hair before the new year.
These actions ensure that the bad luck of the past year does not carry into the new year. They are also comparable to the spring cleaning and new year resolutions of Western cultures.
On New Year’s Eve, the family gather for a sumptuous dinner, honoring their elder relatives and ancestors. At midnight, they light fireworks to bring in the New Year.
Throughout the festival, celebrations include street parades and lion and dragon dances, in which performers mimic the animals’ movements with large costumes and props. Vendors set up street markets selling firecrackers, paper lanterns, and flowers. Elders give red envelopes containing money to children and young adults. Extended family members gather and send warm greetings to one another.
Food plays an important role in the celebration of the Lunar New Year.
Each dish symbolizes a positive aspect and hope for the new year. During the New Year’s Eve dinner, a whole fish is displayed and only partially eaten, to guarantee surplus and abundance. The family prepares jiaozi, or dumplings. This dish, made of dough filled with meat or vegetable filling, represents wealth and fortune. Long noodles are another popular dish; they must never be cut while eaten, or else they will not bestow long life upon the one eating it. For dessert, a common dish is nian gao, a cake made of glutinous rice, which symbolizes prosperity.
Of course, while these are the most common foods and traditions, the food vary depending on region. For instance, jiaozi is more popular in Northern China, while nian gao is more popular in Eastern China.
Customs also vary among individuals and their families. I asked my friend Naomi Murata ’19, originally from Jakarta, Indonesia, how she celebrates the holiday. She goes out with her family to a Chinese restaurant to eat dim sum, and she calls her relatives through Skype to give them her well wishes.
No matter where you’re from, or what Lunar New Year customs you do or do not practice, the holiday offers something for everyone to enjoy.
May the Year of the Dog bring you good luck, prosperity and happiness!
