A special Lunar New Year I celebrated was 2yrs ago, when I was studying abroad, with a friend's family, their mom had included me with the red envelope giving despite having me met only that day, and it was quite the money too. Super grateful and also helpful for a brokie foreign college student. ššš¼
Lunar New Year isnāt really something we celebrate where I live, but Iāve learned a lot about it through games and things Iāve looked up online. My Lunar New Year animal is the Monkey, which I think is really cool because itās tied to being curious, clever, and playful. One of my favorite experiences was celebrating online with a friend who does celebrate itā¦they told me about traditions, decorations, and lucky foods, and we even did a little in game celebration together. It made the holiday feel special to me, even from far away, and Iād love to experience it in person someday.
My first lny that i can remember was back in middle school. I was researching alternative belief systems and in that i discovered the Chinese zodiac and many beautiful traditions that go along with the celebration. First i learned that i was birn the year of the rabbit which i truly feel represent me but one thing that i think is completely beautiful about the holiday is the color symbolism. The deep and vibrant reds that encourage luck and protection decorating every corner of homes, streets and outfits. This is very different than how we in western culture view the color red. I love understanding color theory and getting to delve into alternative meanings was a very wonderful experience starting out.
Tbh, my favorite part of the celebration is the dumpling making āarduous and chaotic task but most of my core memories are of the cooking night at my grandparents' place. We make thousands of them, its like the house turns into this massive, dumpling factory. Everyone has their specific job, and when I was kid i was always on counting duty, but as I got older I got into rolling duty, then filling and pinching duty. So i went through all stations and now occasionally when my grandpa shares his stashed liquor I am included. š¤£ Then we talk all night, laugh at jokes and its kinda therapeutic. Also it makes me feel closer to them and even though we could just buy everything from the store, I like to make dumpling until my hands are sore.
A fun memory I have of LNY is going out for Chinese food as a kid to one of those fancy sit down restaurants šāāļø The staff would have the whole place decorated and we would get placemats with the zodiac on it and thats where I first learned about all of it! I was quite young but I do remember the whole family going over what each of our zodiacs were reading the descriptions of each and judging how accurate they were to the person we knew them to be.
I've never got the chance to celebrate Lunar New Year but I've always really admired it and wanted to. all the decorations, lanterns and lights look so pretty!! I think my favourite thing, I hope one day I can see it in person is the Lion and Dragon dances, they're so beautiful and mesmerizing! plus all the food looks super yummy, I love dumplings and springs rolls and would love to try some new things too! also thanks for hosting these!š
Havenāt personally experienced lunar new year but the tradition of giving red envelopes for blessings sounds really cool
We usually celebrate Lunar New Year by eating tikoy, a traditional sticky rice cake made from glutinous rice flour, sugar, and water, believed to bring good fortune and strengthen family bonds. My grandma buys it from Binondo, Chinatown, here in the Philippines, where the flavors and traditions feel closest to home. We cook it by dipping the tikoy in egg and frying it over low heat, and we also enjoy it wrapped with cheese, making it even more special for our family. IGN : C1SPICY
We celebrate LNY by watching the Dragon Dance in our street, bringing good luck, loud drums, and excitement to the whole neighborhood. IGN : Nezuko328
I've always found the Chinese Lunar New Year to be highly fascinating: From its being steeped in legend and tradition; to the vibrant, elaborate festivities held throughout its duration. In some of my travels, I've experienced how diversified the observance of the LNY could also be; through the various cultures and customs of the people who celebrate it. It truly is a magnificent event to behold! ā„ļø
There is a Lunar New Year festival that happens annually in my city. My family always attends and itās always such a blast with live performances, food stalls, carnival rides and games, market stalls, dragon dances, and even fireworks.
Back in high school, my friends and I visited Binondo during Lunar New Year, and it was unforgettable. The streets were alive with lion dances, firecrackers, and red lanterns swaying above us. We snacked on tikoy and dumplings, laughed over ang pao with chocolate coins, and we saw people making wishes at the temple. What stuck with me most was is the sense of community. Even though we werenāt Chinese, we were welcomed with open arms by some of the kind vendors and those who are celebrating. It was a celebration of culture, yes, but also of togetherness, hope, and new beginnings just like the new year that we celebrate Dec 31 - Jan1. Since then, Iāve always looked forward to watch on social media clips every Lunar New Year for the joy it brings to everyone, no matter where you come from.
When i was younger I used to be a part of community group that did a lion dance in Chinatown. It was fun. Mostly because of the firecrackers which was loud as heck because we were so close.
Sounds like beautiful celebration. We love a good purging, a good cleaning. A fresh start. Out with the old and in the new. I was born in the year of the rat.
I have a best friend who is Asian and every year her parents decorate their patio with decorations and different foods from their culture. I never miss it. Canāt wait to see what this year brings and holds for us.
Last year I went to watch the Lion Dance during LNY and ended the day with dinner with all of my friends.
My daughter has a friend who's family celebrates every year. She (my daughter) has adopted the tradition of no cleaning during CNY, and we've all made dumplings together a couple years now ā¤ļø