History
Lunar New Year is the celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year. It is the most important holiday in China and is also widely celebrated in South Korea and Vietnam.
While the holiday’s official dates vary by culture, those celebrating consider it the time of the year to reunite with immediate and extended family. At home, families decorate windows with red paper, adorn doors with wishes for the new year, and celebrate with dishes representing abundance, good luck, and fortune.
Terminology
Ya Sui Qian: Refers to “lucky money” given to children by elders in red envelopes during the New Year season.
Lantern Festival: Held on the fifteenth and final day of the
holiday, where people carry lanterns around the neighborhood
at night to mark the end of the celebration and symbolize
harmony and unity.
Lion Dance: A traditional Chinese dance performed in a lion
costume meant to bring good fortune and chase away evil spirits (pictured above).
Books
- Lunar New Year by Hannah Eliot
- Bringing in the New Year by Grace Lin
- Ruby's Chinese New Year by Vickie Lee
