Lunar New Year
“A thousand years beneath the earth,
The snake’s whisper calls rebirth.
Its scales are mirrors of the sky,
Reflecting the stars where secrets lie.”
-Excerpt from the "Classic of Mountains and Seas"
Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, marks the beginning of the lunar calendar based on the moon’s cycles. Traditionally celebrated in countries like China, Korea, and Vietnam, it usually falls between late January and mid-February.
This holiday is rich in tradition, symbolizing family reunions, honoring ancestors, and welcoming good fortune. Years correspond to one of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals, each bringing its own unique energy.
While rooted in traditional Chinese customs, Lunar New Year continues to evolve, blending modern touches with conventional practices. Today, it’s celebrated worldwide, making it an opportunity to connect with loved ones and welcome a fresh start filled with joy, hope, and success.
Foods That Symbolize Luck
Food plays a major role in Lunar New Year celebrations, with each dish carrying a specific symbolic meaning. Here are some traditional foods enjoyed during the festivities:
Dumplings – Often shaped like gold ingots, dumplings represent wealth and prosperity.
Noodles – Long noodles symbolize longevity and a long, healthy life.
Fish – The word for “fish” (鱼, yú) sounds like the word for “surplus,” signifying abundance and prosperity for the coming year.
Sweet Rice Balls (Tangyuan) – These chewy, sweet treats symbolize family unity and togetherness.
Lunar New Year Cocktails
For those who enjoy a festive twist on traditional drinks, there are a number of cocktails that incorporate symbolic Lunar New Year ingredients:
Lucky Lemonade: A citrusy cocktail made with fresh lemon, ginger, honey, and vodka. The lemon symbolizes wealth and the ginger represents health, making it a fun, light option for a New Year toast.
Prosperity Punch: A punch made with orange juice (symbolizing wealth), grenadine (for good fortune), and sparkling wine or champagne. The bubbles represent joy and a bright future ahead.
Fortune Fizz: A cocktail made with pomegranate juice (symbolizing fertility and prosperity) and champagne, topped with a splash of club soda for a fizzy, celebratory drink.
Non-Alcoholic Beverages
For those who prefer non-alcoholic drinks, there are several refreshing options:
Lotus Seed and Red Bean Soup: While it’s more of a dessert drink, this sweet soup made with lotus seeds and red beans is often served during Lunar New Year celebrations. It is believed to bring sweetness and harmony to the new year.
Chrysanthemum Tea: This herbal tea, made from dried chrysanthemum flowers, is often enjoyed during the New Year season. It's thought to cool the body and calm the mind, offering balance and good health for the year ahead.
Soy Milk: In some Chinese households, soy milk is a popular drink for breakfast during the New Year. It’s considered nourishing and is sometimes served warm with sugar or with savory accompaniments like youtiao (fried dough).
Lunar New Year is full of fascinating and sometimes quirky traditions that may seem unusual to those unfamiliar with the holiday. But for those who observe them, these customs are deeply meaningful and are believed to bring good fortune, prosperity, and happiness for the year ahead. Here are some unexpected Lunar New Year traditions that might raise an eyebrow:
1. No Sweeping or Cleaning on New Year's Day
While many cultures have a tradition of cleaning their homes before the new year (often to get rid of bad luck), Chinese tradition takes it a step further. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, sweeping and cleaning are strictly avoided. Why? It’s believed that sweeping could sweep away good luck and wealth that’s meant to come in the new year. The idea is to allow luck and fortune to flow freely into the home without interference!
2. The Color Red Everywhere
While red is often seen as a festive color, during Lunar New Year, it’s everywhere—on decorations, clothing, envelopes, and even food. The reason? Red symbolizes good luck, happiness, and prosperity in Chinese culture. People often wear red clothing and decorate their homes with red lanterns or banners to invite fortune. But if you’re not into bold colors, you might find this overwhelming—imagine an entire street lined with red!
3. The “Banging” of Firecrackers to Ward Off Evil Spirits
Firecrackers are traditionally set off at the stroke of midnight to mark the beginning of the new year. The loud noise is believed to scare away evil spirits and bad luck from the past year. In fact, the more firecrackers you set off, the more you are believed to scare away misfortune. While exciting and fun, the deafening sound of firecrackers can be startling for anyone not used to the tradition!
4. Eating “Lucky” Foods—But No Porridge
In many cultures, foods are symbolic of good fortune during the new year, but in Chinese culture, there’s a belief that eating porridge during Lunar New Year brings bad luck. The reasoning behind this is that porridge is often associated with poverty or times when money is tight. Instead, people enjoy foods that represent wealth, health, and prosperity, such as dumplings (symbolizing wealth) or fish (symbolizing surplus). No porridge allowed!
5. No Arguing or Crying
During Lunar New Year celebrations, people avoid arguments, bad moods, and crying, as these emotions are believed to set the tone for the entire year. It’s thought that the first day of the year can shape your mood and fortunes, so the goal is to keep everything positive and joyful. This can lead to an interesting dynamic at family gatherings where everyone is putting on their happiest face—even if it’s not the best time to be cheerful!
6. Don’t Wear Black or White
Black and white are considered unlucky colors during Lunar New Year. These colors are traditionally associated with mourning and death, which is the exact opposite of what the holiday represents—celebration, life, and renewal. So, if you're planning to attend a New Year celebration, you might want to leave the somber-colored outfits in the closet and opt for something bright and festive!
7. Giving Red Envelopes (Hongbao) with "Even" Amounts
Giving money in red envelopes (hongbao) is a well-known Lunar New Year tradition, but here's the catch: it's considered unlucky to give money in odd numbers. This is because odd numbers are associated with funerals or death (since odd-numbered events happen in Chinese funerary practices). So, people often give money in even amounts—except for the number 4, which is unlucky because it sounds like the word for “death” in Chinese.
8. Breaking Dishes for Good Luck
In some cultures, especially in Denmark, it’s customary to break plates or dishes at New Year’s as a way to bring good luck. In some regions of China, though, people break items like ceramic vases or pottery, believing that breaking objects can bring good luck, drive away misfortune, and bring renewal. The idea is that the more things you break, the more luck you’ll have in the year ahead.
9. "First Visitor" Tradition
The first person to visit your home in the new year can influence your fortune for the rest of the year. This visitor should ideally be a lucky person (someone who is well-off or has good fortune themselves). The first visitor is often given special attention and sometimes even a small gift as a gesture of goodwill. It’s also important to note that you shouldn’t visit others during the first few days if they have been involved in negative events, as this could bring bad luck.
10. Wearing New Clothes for the New Year
This one’s pretty common around the world, but it comes with a twist in the context of Lunar New Year. The idea is not just to wear new clothes but to avoid wearing clothes that have been gifted to you, especially from someone who is older than you. The superstition suggests that receiving clothes from older people can symbolize bad luck, so everyone makes sure to wear new outfits to usher in a fresh and lucky year.
Lunar New Year is a time for renewal, hope, and connection. Whether you’re participating in a traditional family gathering, enjoying a festive meal, or simply watching fireworks light up the sky, the spirit of the holiday invites joy and good fortune into our lives. It’s a reminder that, no matter where we come from, we all share in the universal desire for happiness, success, and prosperity in the year ahead.
Happy Lunar New Year!