As the clock strikes midnight Jan. 1, showers of confetti blanket the streets of Times Square and cheers of “Happy New Year” echo across the world. But 28 days later, as the new moon rises from the darkness, Lunar New Year commences, symbolizing new beginnings for billions of people during its 15-day celebration period.
The holiday’s history traces back to over 3,500 years ago, according to Timothy S. Y. Lam Museum of Anthropology, and is commonly recognized by people of East and Southeast Asian descent. Good Housekeeping, an American lifestyle news organization, noted that the traditions often stem from generations of deep-rooted cultural heritage.
In particular, the color red holds symbolic connotations during this holiday in East and Southeast Asian culture as it is seen as an illustration of “vitality” and “celebration.” In an interview with NBC, Julie Zhu, a Mellon Community Curatorial Fellow with the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, said it symbolizes “the sun which gives life” and “blood that circulates that life in a human body.” It also indicates good fortune, which is connected to common Lunar New Year traditions such as the exchanging of red envelopes of cash between family members.
“My parents usually hand me a red envelope every New Year’s Eve with some cash in it that I can open the next day,” digital media sophomore Raina Zhao said. “What’s special about this tradition is that the red envelope holds more than money — it also represents the blessings and good luck that your elders wish upon you in the upcoming year.”
In addition to the red envelopes, there are other cultural predictions that aim to foreshadow the year, including the cycle of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals. 2025 is represented by the wood snake. The Times of India predicted the wood snake calls for a year of “gradual and steady growth,” as the reptile is a symbol in East and Southeast Asian culture for “intelligence” and “wisdom.”
Foods prepared for the Lunar New Year differ in their prominence from region to region. For instance, the Korean dish tteokguk (rice cake soup) “signifies purity” with its white color. Asian Cultural Society (ACS) co-president and piano senior Josetta Wang said that in China, dumplings hold importance.
“They (dumplings) look like the shape of traditional Chinese money and traditional Chinese silver,” Wang said. “It’s good fortune if you make dumplings or eat dumplings with your family on this day because it means that you’ll have a lot of good luck and you will have a prosperous, money-filled new year.”
Wang said that this food has extended past celebrating the Lunar New Year for her family, becoming a tradition through the process of creating food and memories together.
“My family likes to make everything from scratch, from the filling to the wrappers,”
Wang said. “Everyone has a specific role that we like to do, and together we make a little dumpling assembly line. I’ve been learning to do it since I was a little kid, and whenever my extended family is around, dumpling-making is a really inclusive way of bringing everyone together.”
Similarly, visual sophomore Sabrina Tenn said she appreciates the holiday’s emphasis on the familial aspect of life. She said that the Lunar New Year allows her to connect with her Taiwanese family and culture.
“I don’t see my family from Taiwan very often,” Tenn said. “When my entire family gets to call them, and we get to see each other and tell them ‘Happy New Year,’ it’s special.”
In anticipation of the holiday, communications freshman Rosaline Chen adorns her windows with couplets — traditional Chinese banners — that contain pairs of poetic phrases. According to the Weatherhead East Asian Institute at Columbia University, they usually “express wishes for good fortune, long life, many friends, and the like.”
“The week before Lunar New Year, we (also) have to prepare the home by removing garbage and clutter to make way for good luck,” Chen said.
At school, ACS will hold an event honoring the holiday during its February meeting, simultaneously commemorating International Mother Language Day. Wang said that at the Lunar New Year meeting last year, the ACS members constructed paper lanterns and shared snacks.
“Paper lanterns are a very common decoration for Lunar New Year,” Wang said. “(It is) symbolic not just in Chinese culture, but in a lot of different cultures, so we thought it was a nice, fun, relaxing way to celebrate together.”
Wang said that she hopes that people, regardless of if they are a part of the Asian community or not, can “have a sense of appreciation for the diversity and complexity of different cultures” after the holiday meeting.
“I think that there are a lot of stereotypes that coexist with the beautiful cultures of the Asian community,” Wang said. “With more education (about Asian cultures), we are able to allow for greater community building, coalition building, increased understanding, and decreased ignorance.”
CNN describes Lunar New Year as the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar because it is believed to be a chance to define your future for the next 12 months. No matter how people come together to celebrate the Lunar New Year, Zhao said that the sense of togetherness it fosters makes the holiday “cherishable” and a time to appreciate family and loved ones.
“The festival spreads happiness and joy,” Zhao said. “When everyone gathers around the table to enjoy a grand meal filled with laughter and joy, that is when I truly feel the essence of the New Year celebration.”
