A Guide to the Customs of Lunar New Year: Legendary Creatures and Fortunate Foods

For two billion people, the start of the Lunar New Year is this weekend marked by the bang-bang-bang and billowing smoke of firecrackers, undulating red and gold dragons, and the tantalizing smells of steamed and fried treats.

The celebration, sometimes called Chinese New Year, varies in timing every year due to its reliance on the lunar and solar cycles, but it often takes place in late January or early February. It's regarded as the most significant holiday in over ten nations, including China, Korea, and Vietnam. It's similar to Thanksgiving and Christmas combined and is a time to get together with family and eat a lot of food.

Although the largest celebrations occur throughout a large region of East and Southeast Asia, immigrants in the United States also participate in the festivities. Since 2018, Xinqian "Allison" Qiu, a doctorate candidate in American studies, has been researching Chinese American Lunar New Year celebrations in the Washington, D.C., region. Events include the D.C. Chinatown Parade, food markets and community talent shows in suburbs with sizable Asian American populations, as well as concerts at the Kennedy Center and Smithsonian that are co-sponsored by Asian embassies or cultural organizations.

"They're trying to make their events as diverse and inclusive as possible, even though many of them include traditional elements like lion dance and dragon dance," Qiu added. For instance, in recent years, Pride performers and Brazilian drummers have participated in the Chinatown parade.

Lunar New Year is only observed as an official holiday in a few states, not including Maryland. Qiu hopes that by raising awareness of these celebrations, she can effectively counteract the anti-Asian sentiment that spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic and lessen the systemic discrimination against Asian Americans that stems from the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.

According to Qiu, "these festivals are a way to preserve their heritage and memories, a safe harbor for immigrants and their descendants." It's also an opportunity to be present, take a stand, and speak up.

She discusses the origins of the old Chinese practice of burning bamboo on the eve of Lunar New Year, the significance of red envelopes containing fresh money, and the fact that the common chicken is truly auspicious.

There Was a Beast at First

Nani is the name of a mythological beast that appears once a year and feeds, mainly on youngsters. In Chinese, nian means year. Firecrackers are the result of the ancient peasants' use of bamboo, which they burnt to ward against it until it cracked and burst.

Qiu, who was up in southeast China's Fujian Province before moving to the United States for graduate school, said, "I really miss it now. When I was a child, I hated it because it smelled so strong and it was loud and scary." "Every year, I take my kids to the Chinatown parade because it's the only location where we can legally watch and smell firecrackers!"

Red, Red, Everywhere

Red became a lucky color in Chinese culture because it was believed that when Spanish bulls charged a red banner, the nian beast would flee from the bright hue. People write good-luck couplets to put by their doors, wear new outfits, and plaster paper cutouts of words like "spring" and "fortune" and images of the year's zodiac sign—this time a dragon—in their windows during Lunar New Year's celebrations.

Most significantly, they provide young people and the elderly red envelopes stuffed with fresh money. Coins were used in ancient China. The new money now represents new wealth entering your house. Money that is worn out or decayed may contain inherent bad luck from someone else, the speaker stated. (Some users in China even use the well-known app WeChat to send digital red envelopes.)

Year of the Dragon, Baby Boom

According to Chinese mythology, Chinese dragons are the most noble and fortunate creatures, according to Qiu. "They're nothing like the terrifying dragons that are portrayed in Western culture." Traditionally, the dragon year sees a spike in births since they are seen as the most strong and attractive of the 12 zodiac animals, as opposed to, say, the weaker-sounding rabbit or mouse.

Even though this year is the year of the dragon, dragon dances are performed at every Lunar New Year celebration to ward off evil spirits and provide good fortune for the next year. Typically, ten individuals perform the dance, bringing the revered beast to life.

Cuisine with Purpose

The delicacies that are served on a Lunar New Year table all have two meanings since Chinese is rife with homonyms, or words that sound the same but have multiple definitions. Perhaps because its name resembles the term for "lucky," chicken is one of the most beloved foods in China and the Chinese diaspora. In addition, Qiu stated that the fish represents "surplus" and "means that you will have more wealth, more knowledge, more of everything in the new year." Nian gao, a sweetened sticky rice confection from southern China, means "going higher" and is associated with good fortune. Dumplings are a must have in the north, where wheat is the main crop; fashioned like gold ingots, they symbolize the wrapping up of luck and fortune.

"The new year is an incredible time to be friendly," Qiu remarked. "You're eating all the time!"