The Lunar New Year is the most important festival in Chinese culture. Often called Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, this multi-day festival starts on the second new moon after the winter solstice. In 2023, the Lunar New Year starts on January 22 ushering in the Year of the Rabbit. The rabbit is one of twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac which repeats every twelve years. It is a symbol of hope and peace.
The Lunar New Year is celebrated over fifteen days with rituals, prayers, meals featuring special foods and visits with family and friends. Many of the foods have symbolic meanings for wealth, happiness and long life. Homes are cleaned and decorated to welcome the gods to enter and bless their occupants. Doorways are decorated with red banners written with auspicious words. Almost everyone will wear red clothes to symbolize life energy and wish for a bright year. Families gather on the eve of the New Year to have a reunion dinner usually at a round table that symbolize family harmony and unity. Children often set off fire crackers in the evening to scare off the bad spirits and to welcome the new year.
There are different customs to celebrate the Lunar New Year but one common ritual is the gift of “Ang Pow” or red packets filled with crisp new dollar bills. Elder family members give these red packets to the younger, unmarried generation when the younger ones bow in respect to them and wish them a happy and healthy year ahead. Married people exchange well wishes with mandarin oranges which symbolize gold and other gifts. In many larger towns, the Lunar New Year is often celebrated with parades where people may dress as Lions or Dragons to perform dances accompanied by drums, gongs, cymbals and flutes.
To wish your friend a Happy Lunar New Year, you can say“Gong Hei Fat Choy” (Cantonese) or “Xin Nian Kuai Le.” (Mandarin).
Reunion Dinner 2023 - Ingredients for the Steamboat (similar to hot pot). These include various meat balls, seafood, meats, tofu, noodles, mushrooms, and cabbage.
Preparing Steamboat Reunion Dinner
A special treat of Cempedak, a type of Jackfruit on Reunion evening. Cempedak has a yellow / orange custard like texture and an intensely sweet taste and aroma.
Nephew Yang - saying “Gong Hei Fat Choy’ or “Happy New Year” in Cantonese!
Giving out red packets or “Ang Pow” or Red Packet - to nephew Jian
Red packet - Ang Pow.
A good luck tradition is to stir rice or noodle dish before eating; while wishing for good luck and prosperity in the coming year.