Lunar New Year, commonly known as Chinese New Year, is a two-week celebration that marks the arrival of spring and beginning of the lunisolar Calendar. Being one of the most important holidays in China, it’s also widely celebrated in South Korea, Vietnam, and other countries with a significant Asian population encompassing all the variations by culture.
This year the festivities begin on January 29 and continue until February 12 ending with the Lantern Festival. Each year is associated with an animal from the Chinese zodiac, with this year being the snake, it represents transformation, renewal, and spiritual growth. Now a celebration filled with family, feast and welcoming prosperity into the new year, it was traditionally known to honor deities and family ancestors during this time.
Lunar New Year Traditions
Spring Cleaning
Many families will clean for the upcoming new year as a way to get rid of all the bad luck and invite good luck into the home. When the house is ready, red decorations such as lamps and couplets (Chinese poetry) are hung. Synonymous with the holiday, red is the color most used during this time, as it’s believed to ward off bad energy and attract prosperity.
Honoring Ancestors
During this time, families usually visit the graves of their ancestors to pay their respects and honor. With honoring passed loved ones being a large part of Lunar New Year, families will set up a plate of food for them the day before the feast. Others may leave a plate and an empty chair or set up a designated space in their home.
Family Reunion Dinner
With one of the biggest feasts of the year happening the day before Lunar New year, it’s the perfect time for everyone to come together. Family time is very important to the holiday and it’s common for all generations of the family to gather around.
Gifting Red Envelopes
Red envelopes are a popular gift given out to children and elders, symbolizing good luck, prosperity, and happiness. Ranging from a couple dollars to hundreds, it should never start with the four, as it’s believed to be an unlucky number in Chinese culture, and it’s preferred to be an even number.
Food to Celebrate with
Lunar New Year isn’t complete without food! Being a large part of the celebration, families cook and bring a variety of different foods during this time. Ranging from fish, dumpling, spring rolls, noodles, and fruits, each having their own special meanings associated with them.
- Fish: For abundance, leaving some of it uneaten represents hope and abundance to carry over into the new year.
- Dumplings & Spring Rolls: Both representing wealth, spring rolls resemble bars of gold and bring in good fortune. While the number of dumplings you eat will predict the amount of money you’ll make in the upcoming year.
- Citrus: Luck and prosperity, tangerines, oranges, and pomelos bring good fortune.
- Longevity Noodles: It’s a symbol for living a long and healthy life. The longer the noodle, the luckier you will be.
Don’t have time to cook? Check out our delicious collection of Crav’n Flavor options to bring to your next Lunar New Year dinner.