Lunar New Year Breathes Fire into Family Traditions

Hundreds of people gather for the Lunar New Year Parade in Chinatown, Manhattan, to witness the lion and dragon dance. Photo Credit: Flickr

By ASHLEY YE and JASON CHERNYAK

A giant mythical lion floated through midair as confetti fell to the ground. Bright flashes of light and hints of red and gold were everywhere. The crowd was breaking into celebration for the new year. 

For most of us, the new year starts when the clock strikes 12 on January 1, but if you celebrate Lunar New Year, 2020 kicked off on January 25. It is a time of year where Chinese culture is celebrated alongside family. Receiving red envelopes full of money is just a bonus. 

The lunar new year dates back to the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC). According to folklore, the reason for the color red and loud sounds from fireworks is to scare off Nian, a lion-like beast who devours people and livestock.

Parades on this day include dancing Chinese dragons, which are said to possess power, luck, and wisdom. The red envelopes given to kids represent the transfer of fortune from the elders.

This yearly celebration is fixed to the 12-moon cycle, known as the lunar cycle, along with the twelve animals of the zodiac (this year is the year of the rat). Celebrations emphasize the importance of family as well as offering food and money to ancestors and gods. 

For Kelly Luo ’21, “Chinese New Year is the time to be with family and reconnect with your distant family members. It’s like an annual reunion where everyone shares what they have done the past year,” she said.

Like Luo, Ivy Tran ’21 commiserates with relatives and friends. She said, “We eat dinner and tell stories about our individual lives and bond over any similarities.”

Luo’s favorite memory is “when everyone fights for the bill either after dim sum or dinner,” she said. “It’s funnier with all your aunts and uncles trying to pretend to slip to the bathroom to pay the bill or trying to bribe the waitress to give the bill to them before anyone else.” 

A vivid memory for Tran was when “my aunt would make my cousin do chores for a red envelope,” she said. “This made me enjoy Chinese New Year more because we weren’t just given money.”

Memories are also created around traditions and customary food.

Julian Lam ’21 said, “My grandma cooks traditional foods that I normally wouldn’t eat on a regular basis. Certain dishes have special meanings that are superstitious, like eating noodles represents living a long life.” 

Cleaning for the new year was one thing that was commonly shared between students.

“Every year, before Chinese New Year, my family and I thoroughly clean the house, as it symbolizes a fresh start,” Lam said. 

Tran said, “I clean my room as I don’t want my room to be a source of bad luck. When my family starts cleaning, that’s how I know Chinese New Year is close by.” 

The unique features of Chinese New Year allow individuals to become closer to their Chinese culture. Luo feels that as generations go on, they’re less likely to stick to customs and culture.

“China has always had a patriarchal custom where males dominated the house, but now we accept women to be equals as those customs are abandoned,” she said.

For Luo, her parents rarely celebrate the traditions of her grandparents. However, “Chinese New Year is one of those holidays where they find common ground,” said Luo. “It holds the values of family and prosperity, and everyone supports that.”