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Arguably one of the biggest–if not the biggest–holiday throughout the Asian continent and beyond, the Lunar New Year holds deep cultural and familial significance in the variety of ways it’s celebrated throughout the world. In light of the anti-Asian rhetoric that was spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s perhaps more important than ever that we learn about how we can support each other during this season; here are some important things to keep in mind as we approach the Lunar New Year!
It’s the Lunar New Year, not the Chinese New Year.
While the holiday is indeed celebrated extensively throughout China, it’s also an extremely significant event in countries including Vietnam, Mongolia or South Korea, not to mention in Asian diasporic communities throughout the world. Using the term “Chinese New Year” to refer to the Lunar New Year as a whole limits this holiday exclusively to celebrations in China, and speaks to a larger generalization of distinct cultures and celebrations on the basis of superficial similarities.
There’s more than one way to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
The most popularized images of the Lunar New Year that are found today are ones of lanterns, dragon dances and lots and lots of the color red. However, this only scratches the surface of the many ways the day is celebrated throughout the world.
For example, in China, one of the common traditions around the Lunar New Year is thoroughly cleaning out the house to start the year anew, with the bad luck and misfortune of the previous year scrubbed from the household.
In Korea, charye is an ancestral ritual performed in several holidays including the new year. Families offer food, fruit and alcohol to their deceased ancestors, typically with gratitude and wishes for a new year full of fortune and accompanied with a series of deep bows to their ancestors.
In Vietnam, xông đất, xông nhà or đạp đất is one of the most important beliefs held during the new year. The phrase refers to the action of the first visitor of the year entering a family’s household, and it’s said that the family’s fortune for the rest of the year will be determined by this first visitor. As such, people avoid entering houses on the first day of the year without being invited first.
In Mongolia, it’s said that candles are lit on the night before the new year to symbolize enlightenment and light the way for any spirits who may visit. Three chunks of ice are also left outside the door as they believe that the Buddhist god, Palden Lhamo, visits each household on this night and that his horse would be thirsty by the journey.
The Lunar New Year is a beautiful holiday, celebrated by multiple cultures around the world; for me, it’s always been a time when I can be aware of the gratitude I have for my family, my culture and the year to come. As more and more new years come to pass, let’s hope that there’ll be a greater understanding of what this celebration symbolizes for so many people too.
