Although the new year in the United States begins on Jan. 1, the traditional Chinese holiday, Chinese New Year, takes place between Jan 21 through Feb. 20. Chinese communities around the world come together to celebrate this holiday, formally known as Lunar New Year.
Luge Ma, a teaching assistant at the Mahurin Honors College and International Center from Sichuan, China, said she has traditions she celebrated in her hometown for the holiday. Some traditions include preparing meals with her family.
“Sichuan is known for being a large city in China where the food Sichuan comes from,” Ma said. “So you know, we have all the best food at home.”
She said that celebrations can last up to two weeks, ending the New Year with a Lantern Festival.
“The Lantern Festival feels like a magical finale,” Ma said. “Imagine streets glowing with countless lanterns in all shapes like animals, flowers, mythical creatures and even modern pop culture designs; some are intricate traditional hand-made ones, while others light up with LEDs.”
She said that larger cities like her hometown celebrate the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the New Year, which also marks the end of the celebration.
According to Britannica, the Lantern Festival celebrations occur on the 15 day of the first month on the lunar calendar. The Lantern Festival centers on the symbols of goodwill and reunion.
Days before the eve of the Chinese New Year, Ma said her family celebrates by tidying up the house, preparing food and spending time with relatives she hasn’t seen.
“This holiday is very similar to how people celebrate Christmas here in America,” Ma said. “It’s a lot of preparation and visiting family; it is also a holiday more focused on tradition and reuniting with our loved ones.”
Fulbright Scholar and teaching assistant at HCIC, YenChun Lai celebrates her Chinese New Year with her family in Taiwan, the Republic of China, by going to a temple to pray to ancestors and spend time with her family. One popular temple she said that people go to is the Nanyao Temple located in Taiwan.
Common celebrations of this holiday vary from each Chinese community. According to National Geographic, the first few days of the Lunar New Year consist of paying tribute to former relatives. This may include burning incense and visiting grave sites.
“Temples are usually overflowing at this time,” Lai said. “Most people bring snacks, fruits or drinks as offerings, hoping for a smooth and successful year ahead.”
She said that there are differences between celebrating in Taiwan compared to celebrating here in America.
“In our culture, the Chinese New Year is a very important occasion, so we spend more time celebrating it,” Lai said. “You can see various spring couplets on the streets and hear the sound of firecrackers.”
Lai also said that red envelopes, properly called “hóngbāo” in Mandarin, are filled with money and given to children and unmarried adults.
“My favorite memory from celebrating the Chinese New Year would be receiving those red envelopes from my family,” Lai said. “These envelopes are usually blessings from elders to younger generations.”
Flora Lin, junior and Asian American Association member from Glasgow, said this holiday brings value to her life.
“Sometimes I find it difficult to connect to my culture living in the United States,” Lin said. “Chinese New Year provides me an opportunity to reconnect with it through traditions and food.”
Lin said that some of the top three essential foods her family eat during the holiday are fish, sticky rice cakes and rice balls. Each food symbolizes family, fortune and prosperity.
According to the National Museum of Liverpool, one popular tradition recognized worldwide is the celebration of the Chinese Zodiac. The Chinese Zodiac revolves around the Chinese calendar. Based on the Chinese calendar, each year correlates with an animal. For this year’s Zodiac, the calendar honors the Snake, known for being wise, protective, and enigmatic.
Lin said that there is no definite origin story of the Chinese Zodiacs, but there is a common story told about the animals associated with the Zodiacs.
“The most common story of their origins is based on a race conducted by the Jade Emperor,” Lin said. “The Jade Emperor wanted to create a calendar for the people and selected animals to participate in a great race.” e
She said that in this race, the Rat outwitted the Ox to win the race. The Dragon aided in helping others despite its advantage of flying.
According to the National Museum of Liverpool, the full list of zodiac signs includes the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.
“Each of the 12 animals represents different personality traits and characteristics,” Lin said. “People born in a specific year are believed to inherit the qualities of those animals.”
Lai said that her zodiac sign is the Year of the Dragon which preceded the current Year of the Snake.
According to Social Science and Medicine, there was a significant rise in birth rates in the years 1988 and 2000. These years are recognizable with the Year of The Dragon.
“Most people believe that being born in the Year of the Dragon is a good thing,” Lai said. “Many people hope their children will be born during those years, leading to a higher number of babies being born during the Year of the Dragon.”
As the start of the Lunar New Year approaches, several organizations on campus are preparing to celebrate the Year of the Snake. The Chinese Flagship Program will head an event on Wednesday, Jan. 29 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Academic Complex, room 202. The Asian American Association also plans to celebrate Thursday, Jan. 30 at 5:30 p.m. in Downing Student Union, room 2123. Their Instagram follows up on more details on the event.