How to Celebrate Chinese New Years

Chinese New Year’s is probably my favorite holiday of the year. Growing up, it meant a big feast with my extended family and receiving lei-see (lucky red envelopes filled with money) from my aunt and uncle.  Food and money – this holiday doesn’t get much better!

By Leah

As I’ve learned more about Chinese culture (my family is pretty non-traditional), I’ve learned about the traditions other people practice for the most important holiday in the Chinese calender.  A lot of what Chinese New Year’s is about is setting precedence for the new year.  If you start the year with money, surrounded by friends and in a clean setting, you will be lucky, happy and have prosperity throughout the next year.

If you’re interested in other cultures or just looking for a reason to party, Here are some ways to celebrate the Year of the Tiger:

Clean House: What better way to start off the new year then with a clean house? It is said to rid your house of bad luck that you accumulated in the past year, so go through that closet and those piles around your room and get rid of all that bad luck. But wait a until the weekend to do so; tradition says that if you want to keep good luck in your house for the year you must refrain from cleaning for the first few days.

Decorate. While people often paint their doorways red, the lucky color, this probably isn’t an option for most college students. Instead, I like to get paper scrolls with inspirational sayings on them.  Gung Hay Fat Choy is probably a saying you’ve heard before; it wishes for wealth and prosperity in the new year. You can pick these up at any Chinese Market, in addition to paper lanterns and other fun decorations.

New Clothes. When I learned about this tradition I was ecstatic! People often buy new outfits to start the new year off fresh. Wearing red and/or gold is also considered lucky. Avoid wearing a lot of black throughout the new year, thought, as it is a symbol of bad luck.

Party! If you have a Chinatown near you, or there is a Chinese New Year’s celebration, check it out.  It’s a cultural experience and a lot of fun.  In my hometown, they have parades, presentations, vendors and so much more to do throughout the New Year, which is 15 days long. Lion Dances are a major part of the parade and setting off firecrackers, or even using noisemakers on Chinese New Year’s Eve (Feb. 14) will scare off bad spirits.

Eat. Dumplings, fish, noodles and oranges are some of the foods traditionally eaten in the new year.  Get together with your friends and go out for food, or make your own. (Fried Rice is super easy and feeds a lot of people.) Since New Year’s Eve falls on Valentine’s Day this year, it is the perfect excuse to get your single friends together and celebrate.

Watch and Learn. The Last Train Home is a documentary by Lixin Fan about the largest internal migration, which occurs just before the Chinese New Year.  Migrant factory workers only go home for the New Year, they travel primarily by train, making it a chaotic time of year.  This documentary won Best Feature at the IDFA International Documentary Festival in Amsterdam and is definitely a must-see.