By Leila Wickliffe
Besides celebrating New Year Day’s on the first of January, many Asian countries also celebrate Lunar New Year. This year Lunar New Year begins on February 1, and is the Year of the Tiger. According to USA Today, 1.5 billion people celebrate Lunar New Year. Although it is largely observed in China and East Asia, other countries, like Singapore, South Korea, Philippines, and Vietnam, also participate in traditional festivities. Lunar New Year marks the beginning of the new lunar calendar. In China, Lunar New Year is considered one of the most important holidays and people can enjoy an entire week off to be with friends and family. Lunar New Year lasts for 15 days, but preparations can begin half a month before Lunar New Year even begins. In China it begins with the Laba Festival and ends with the Lantern Festival.
Similar traditions span across all of Asia. During the preceding days before Lunar New Year, many families clean their houses. A student who asked to stay anonymous said, “It is an annual tradition in Vietnam to always clean up the house before every Lunar New Year to welcome the new year, and to signify a brand-new start.” They cherish Lunar New Year because in Vietnamese culture seeing family and paying respects to relatives is an important facet of the holiday. They said, “Lunar New Year is being able to start anew, and being able to share that new start with my family. I always have a great time spending time with my family, and it allows us to catch up.”
Emily Han, junior at Ponte Vedra High School, said that many of the Lunar New Year traditions in Taiwan are similar to that of those in Vietnam. She added that it is a great time to cook and play games with family. “My family usually hosts a big gathering where we cook up lots of traditional dishes. We usually play mahjong and play a dice rolling game,” she elaborated. Traditional dishes include hotpot, pan fried fish, dumplings, and noodles. They even make desserts like tangyuan, a rice flour dish that has filling and is served with syrup. Like Vietnamese culture, Lunar New Year in Taiwan signifies a new start. “It’s a time of gathering and celebration where we put behind the bad things of the past year and hope for a peaceful new year,” Han said. Lunar New Year gives people a new slate, with the first new moon.
This lunar calendar begins the Year of the Tiger. Each year is related to an animal sign according to a 12-year cycle. For example, the next Year of the Tiger will be in 2034 because that is 12 years from 2022. There are many popular stories about how this cycle came to be. A popular myth claims that the Jade Emperor was developing a calendar, so he called on the 12 animals to participate in a race. The order in which the animals finished the race would determine the cycle’s order. However, according to China Highlights, the 12 animals were chosen by ancient scholars. These animals were said to relate to ancient Chinese society and culture. Similar to Western zodiacs, Chinese zodiacs represent qualities in a person. People who were born in the Year of the Tiger are strong and brave. Next year is the Year of the Rabbit, and people born under this animal are witty and cautious. Each animal has its own qualities that are deeply rooted in Chinese culture. These qualities reflect onto the person in their life. It is said that wearing red will bring good luck in a birth sign year. If someone was born in the Year of the Tiger, they should wear red this year since it will soon be the Year of the Tiger.
Lunar New Year is a significant holiday to all who celebrate as it is a time of gathering with family and friends. Extensive preparation goes into the celebration. Cleaning, shopping, and cooking are some of the important facets of the holiday. This holiday brings millions of families together from all around the world, all who hope for a prosperous and peaceful new year.
