Celebrating the Lunar New Year

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As our friends, neighbors and families prepare to celebrate the Lunar New Year, here are a few facts, videos and activities to help you learn more about this special celebration.

Last Updated: February 2024

Lunar New Year is celebrated by many countries, including China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia. Lunar New Year marks the first new moon of the year, which is determined by the cycles of the moon and sun.

ACTIVITIES TO DO:

Dragon Puppet Printable

TRADITIONS

Dragons and lions oh my! Lion and dragons are spectacularly-decorated in Lunar New Year parades all over the world! Both dragons and lions are multicolored creatures that are believed to bring good luck.

Here are some links to learn more about these amazing dancing mythical creatures!

Watch some of the best lion dancers in the world practice!

Check out this amazing lion dance in Vietnam!

Firecrackers were invented during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) from the accidental discovery that inserting gunpowder into a hollow bamboo stick and throwing it into fire would cause a loud blast.

Paper tubes ultimately replaced bamboo stalks during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Later, firecrackers were wrapped in red paper. The red paper from spent firecrackers is left for at least a day. This is due to a belief that if the paper is swept away immediately, good luck would be swept along with it.

For more details, check out The Legend of Chinese New Year.

CHINA’S SPRING FESTIVAL

Traveling for the Lunar New Year
Did you know that three billion trips are made each year to and from visits to relatives by plane, train and automobile to celebrate Chinese New Year? Referred to as chunyun (春运), this is the travel period that begins 15 days before the week-long observance of China’s Spring Festival (or chunjie (春), and can last up to 40 days. This year, chunjie starts on January 22nd (New Year’s Eve) and ends on January 29th. In modern China, most elderly parents still live in the rural villages of their ancestors, while the younger generation works in the cities, which means commuting can take several days. For some, travel may take up to 40 days, in part due to the lack of transportation options available for millions of people to make their journeys during the same timeframe.

Why is it called a Spring Festival when it takes place during the winter? The Festival marks the end of the coldest days of winter. People welcome the coming spring by planting, which represents new beginnings and fresh starts.

2024: THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON

Most Compatible Signs: Monkey, Rooster, Rat
Semi-Compatible Signs: Tiger, Snake
Least Compatible Signs: Ox, Sheep, Dog

RED ENVELOPES

Red envelopes usually contain money ranging anywhere from a couple of dollars—after all, it’s supposed to be symbolic of sending good wishes and good luck—to any amount of money that the giver deems appropriate. Adults who are not yet married do not need to give red envelopes to others. Parents and grandparents may continue to give red envelopes to their married children and grandchildren as a symbol of their love and blessings for them. Red envelopes are not limited to Chinese New Year. It is common to give a red envelope during some special occasions, such as weddings, graduations, baby showers, or milestone birthdays.

Red Envelope Etiquette:

1. Do gift crisp, new bills, as gifting dirty or wrinkled bills is in bad taste.

2. Do receive a red envelope with both hands and express thanks with an appropriate phrase. It is considered impolite to receive a red envelope with one hand and not express thanks with an appropriate phrase.

3. Don’t gift coins.

4. Don’t give amounts starting with the number 4, like $4, $40 or $400. The number '4' in Chinese sounds like 'death' and is therefore considered bad luck. Even numbers are better than odd numbers. The number ‘8’ is considered good luck, so gifts like $8, $80 or $88 would be best.

5. Don’t open your red envelope in front of the person who just gave it to you.

TABOOS AND SUPERSTITIONS

As in practically all other cultures around the world, there are a lot of taboos and superstitions adapted over the course of centuries, all of which have the intent of attracting good fortune into the New Year and protecting against bad fortune.

Do’s:

Do talk about good, happy things to set the tone for the new year
Do pay back your debts before the new year starts
Do wear red because red is the luckiest color

Don’ts:

Don’t cut your hair during the New Year, as that would cause connections to be severed
Don’t wear black or white, as both colors are associated with mourning
Don’t wash your hair or do laundry on the 1st or 2nd day of the new year, as that would wash good fortune away
Don’t sweep on the 1st or 2nd day of the new year, as that will sweep away accrued wealth and luck
Don’t cry or argue, as that will bring bad fortune

Thank you to I. Leung for providing us with the above information and resources.