Did you know?
Lunar New Year is one of the most important holidays among East and Southeast Asian cultures. China, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, North Korea, Singapore, South Korea, and Vietnam all have public holidays which may be several days long for celebration.
While the western world most commonly refers to the holiday as Chinese New Year, Lunar New Year goes by many names which vary from country to country. In China and Singapore, the holiday is called Spring Festival or Chūnjié, while Vietnamese New Year is known as Tết, Korean New Year is known as Seollal, Tibetan New Year is called Losar, and Japanese New Year is Shōgatsu. In China and many other countries, each New Year is represented by one of 12 zodiac animals that reoccur every 12 years. 2022 is the Year of the Tiger, a symbol of strength and bravery.
There are many different ways that people celebrate Lunar New Year! Typical traditions include putting up spring couplets or flowers as decorations, visiting relatives and friends, and giving children red envelopes with money inside to symbolize good luck and prosperity. In China, it is common to set off fireworks to chase away “evil spirits” that could bring sickness in the new year. Many cultures also celebrate with lion and dragon dance performances; lions symbolize strength, stability and superiority, and dragons represent power, boldness and excellence.