Following the first full moon of the lunisolar calendar, billions of people around the world celebrate a holiday known as Lunar New Year. Contrary to its name, the holiday is actually determined by lunisolar calendars, which incorporate both monthly lunar cycles and the solar year. Because of this, there is no fixed date for its celebration; however, it will always end up falling between January 21 and February 21. This year, Lunar New Year was observed on Wednesday, January 29, and will end on February 16.
Although most commonly referred to as Lunar New Year, the holiday takes on several names, which differ depending on the country it is being celebrated in. These include Chinese New Year (known as Spring Festival in China), Tết (Vietnam), Seollal (North and South Korea), and many more. Whether it’s with traditional clothing, classic dishes, or religious practices, different countries all carry out distinct customs.
This year, I spent the New Year at my aunt’s house. Activities usually include dinner with family, handing out 利是 (lai si), and gambling with assorted Chinese board games. However, due to schoolwork, my festivities were cut short, and I was at home before 9 p.m. Upset at my uneventful New Years left me thinking: how is Lunar New Year celebrated elsewhere in LM?
Taking inspiration from Chinese culture, the Asian Culture Club (ACC) hosted their annual Lunar New Year candy gram sale. Meant to mirror the tradition of gifting red envelopes, students could purchase and send red packets to friends or teachers of their choosing. ACC officer Liana Yau ’26 (born in the Year of the Pig) expresses that “the candy gram sale is just one way the holiday is appreciated at LM.” Often filled with abundant amounts of money, the practice dates all the way back to the Han dynasty when people created a type of coin to protect from evil spirits; ACC opts for candy and a sweet message instead. Besides her duties as a hardworking student, Yau was able to enjoy the holiday with relatives through meals of dim sum and hotpot. She also shared that her favorite part of Lunar New Year was watching the midnight lion parade in Chinatown and eating dumplings with her family.
Dumpling making and eating is one of many ways people celebrate the Lunar New Year. Observed in northern parts of China—especially in regions Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei—the practice usually involves the entire family and countless hours of folding and stuffing. The jiǎo zi are molded to resemble Chinese golden ingots, which represent prosperity, therefore also symbolizing an auspicious new year for those who eat them. On January 28, ACC invited students after school to participate in this custom. Over twenty students attended what Yau called a “super successful day,” where she and other officers guided members in the wrapping process. Although she forgets how many they made, “everyone had a good amount to eat and enjoy.”
A rather new tradition to spring up in the last fifty years is the creation of the China Medias Group’s (CMG) New Year Gala, also known as the Spring Festival Gala. Produced by CMG, the program is broadcast annually every Chinese New Year’s Eve. The show highlights China’s vibrant and extensive culture through music, dance, and comedy performances. Vicki Wu ’25 (born in the Year of the Dog), who brought it to my attention, enlightened me on the numerous festivities China partakes in during the New Year. Outside school, Wu celebrated the New Year with family by preparing traditional dishes such as zongzi, tangyuan, qīngtuán, and niángāo; her favorite is qīngtuán, a mugwort rice cake normally filled with red beans. Inside school, Wu and her classmates “brought snacks to celebrate the Lunar New Year.”
Located next to the library, you may have noticed a room adorned with Lunar New Year decorations. This is Room 231, the English language development room, led by teachers Krysten Lopez and Marie Martin. During the Lunar New Year, Lopez’s (born in the Year of the Pig) students were given the opportunity to “cook food from their own cultures and share with each other.” Students were also tasked with creating presentations on the different animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Lopez stressed the importance of incorporating these activities, as every student’s “culture, language, or country of origin is a great addition to the diversity of LM.”
Even though this article mainly highlights Chinese celebrations, there are plenty of other ways this holiday is appreciated and practiced. In Vietnam, bánh tét and bánh chưng—a dish made from glutinous rice, pork, and mung beans—are both eaten during the New Year and used as offerings for ancestors. And on Seollal, many Koreans wear hanboks—a traditional Korean attire—as a means of honoring their heritage. Regardless of where it’s celebrated, the Lunar New Year will always be a time full of family, good fortune, and extravagant feasts.
