Much of Asia is preparing for the the biggest holiday of the year – Chinese New Year. This 15-day celebration ushers in the Year of the Dragon and marks the beginning of the year according to the lunar calendar. This year it starts on January 23rd with some variations depending on the countries and the celebrations may last up to 15 days. It is the most important time of the year for families to get together, exchange gifts and eat a lot of good food! A good celebration means good fortune and happiness for the year, therefore people clean up their houses, especially floors to sweep away their misfortune, get rid of old furniture and prepare a feast for the new year day.
Food takes on whole new meanings during the festivities – dumplings bring in wealth and treasure, spring rolls mean a ton of gold (fried spring rolls look like gold bars, the symbolism of treasure), tofu means fulfillment of wealth and happiness, blessing the houses, and mandarin oranges and tangerines are symbolic of abundance and good fortune and during the two-week celebration are frequently displayed as decoration and presented as gifts to friends, relatives, and business associates.
On the new year’s day, every member of the family starts the New Year off right with new clothes from head to toe. And the first stop of the day is the temple to worship ancestors. There families bring offerings of food and burn sticks of incense and stacks of paper money. Children especially looking forward to receive red envelopes filled with money called from their parents and family, which the tradition is mean to reconcile, forget all grudges and sincerely wish peace and happiness for everyone.
The last day of the celebration is marked by the Lantern Festival. Streets are decorated with thousands of red lanterns hung out for people to appreciate. Families walk the street carrying lighted lanterns, some try to solve puzzles on lanterns, eat rice cakes, and enjoy a family reunion.
Here is how celebrations differ in some of the countries we cycle through:
Burma – Ethnic Chinese in Burma start the New Year with colorful processions and parades of lion dances. In temples, the Chinese descendants still follow the tradition of praying for prosperity. Although Chinese New Year is not an official holiday, most businesses, especially in Yangon will close for the holiday.
Cambodia – Though not an official holiday it is widely celebrated by those of Chinese descent and ethnic Vietnamese. Homes and workplaces are decorated with red and yellow for good fortune and wealth, and displayed are offerings of red pig heads, drinks, fruits, and cigarettes. On the night of New Year’s Eve people flock to the pagodas to make offerings. Wat Phnom in Phnom Penh is one of the busiest and most popular pagodas, especially at midnight.
China – In China there will many celebrations, but the most important will be to visit family and friends as well as going to the temple to worship ancestors and welcome the New Year. Fireworks, lanterns, playing mahjong and lots of food are all part of the festivities, but it is also important not to do things that will bring bad luck, such as breaking dishes or saying inauspicious words.
Thailand – There are big celebrations all over the country, especially in Bangkok and Phuket. Other than the traditional processions and lion dances on the streets, the Chinese descendants use this time to eat vegetarian foods only to purify mind and soul. In Bangkok’s Chinatown food stalls are set up offering popular Thai and Chinese delicacies, with yellow flags marking those who are vegetarians. Streets are lively with traditional Chinese New Year themed decorations considered symbols of success, good fortune and prosperity. The best way get the festive feel is to see Chinatown by bicycle during the next two weeks,
Vietnam - The Lunar new year is called “Tet” which means feast of the first morning. The Vietnamese share many of same customs as their Chinese counterparts. Stalls spring up all over town to sell mut (candied fruits and jams), traditional cakes, and fresh fruit and flowers. Certain markets sell nothing but cone-shaped kumquat bushes, symbols of prosperity. Others sell flowering peach trees, symbols of life and good fortune which people bring into their homes to celebrate the coming of spring. As vendors pour into the cities with peach trees strapped to their bicycles, the streets look like moving pink forests.
And in case you were wondering, the Year of the Dragon is widely believed to be auspicious as the celestial creature is associated with bringing good luck and prosperity. Happy New Year!
