Last week, millions of people throughout the world celebrated an important holiday. The Chinese or Lunar new year is a holiday that is widely celebrated in many Asian countries as a start to the Lunar Calendar, usually in January or February. Growing up in a Chinese Indonesian family, the Chinese New Year has always been one of my favorite holidays of the year. Families get together and have a feast of special New Year’s food; the assigned animal for the year is recognized, and kids receive money! (I’ll get to that later). If you have seen the words “Chinese New Year” or “Lunar New Year” on any form of media, you probably have an idea of the common elements of the celebration: red envelopes, lanterns, dragons, and golden ornaments. Now, if you’re not from a Chinese/East Asian family, all of these symbols might appear rather odd or unusual. Understanding the meaning and context behind these strange traditions make them less strange and more interesting

Chinese vs Lunar New Year

First things first, you must understand that the Chinese New Year and the Lunar New Year are two different, but similar, celebrations. Historically, Eastern Asian civilizations (China, Japan, Korea) used the moon’s cycle as a way of telling time. This method of using the Lunar cycle inspired the creation of the Lunar Calendar. Because the Lunar year starts and ends at different times from the traditional sun-centered calendar that the western world developed, there is a different celebration for the traditional New Year and the Lunar-based New Year. The Chinese New Year can be categorized as a Lunar New Year; however, there are some differences in the Chinese New Year celebration that makes it a different event completely.

The Celebration

The Chinese celebrate our new year in a way that’s like the western celebration of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and, well, New Year’s Eve, all rolled into one. Let me explain how:

Every year, the eldest son/daughter of the family throws a party at their house and invite all their relatives. In countries that celebrate the Lunar New Year or the Chinese New Year, there is a massive number of migration because people from all over the country are trying to go back home to their relatives. An estimated number of 277 MILLION people travel across the country to meet up with their relatives. This number represents the Chinese people in Mainland China alone; there are plenty of Chinese people living in the US and other countries who travel to meet with their families as well.

On the day of the celebration, the extended family gathers, all wearing vibrant clothing of red and gold, the colors of good luck and prosperity. There is usually a big feast of food that’s only served during CNY (think of the Thanksgiving turkey). These dishes usually vary from family to family. My family has two special dishes that my grandma would make: the Hong Pork and the Pau Hi. The Hong Pork is a dish made out of preserved pork feet and belly with a reddish sauce (it tastes better than it sounds, believe me) and Pau Hi is a soup broth made out of abalone, chicken stock, and pork intestines (again, don’t deny it until you try it). Both dishes take some time to prepare, and there are also some dishes that are usually served, such as noodles (representing a long life).

After the feast, the children and teenagers gather around the elders and wish them a happy new year. This gesture is called “Kiong Hi” and is set from the tradition of children wishing the elders good luck and fortune throughout the year. After this gesture, the elders usually give a red envelope with a wish for the child. These wishes would usually be hopes for good grades, obedience to parents, etc. The best part is that the envelopes usually contain money, which I always look forward to. I have always looked forward to this part of the celebration, especially now that I’m a broke college student.

Just like the Western New Year’s Eve celebration, we also have fireworks and firecrackers. Fireworks did originate from China, after all. Back in ancient China, fireworks were used to ward off any wild animals and demons from the villages. Nowadays, we mainly light up fireworks as a celebratory gesture. The lighting of fireworks and firecrackers during the Chinese New Year might even have been the inspiration for more western celebrations.

The Chinese Zodiac

Because the Lunar Calendar resets every 12 years, there is a story that tries to explain the occurrences of the lunar cycle. The story goes like this: the gods in Chinese mythology invited 12 animals to take part in a race across the riverside to decide the order of the Lunar Calendar. The Tiger and the Dragon were clear favorites to win the race, but the unexpected winner was the clever Rat, who worked together with the diligent Ox to reach the end first. The prideful Tiger finished third by swimming across the river, followed by the lucky Rabbit who jumped on the river stones. The mighty Dragon finished fifth after stopping to help a village that was burning down. The sneaky Snake slithered her way into sixth place. The Horse galloped his way to seventh place, followed by his close friend the Goat. The fast Monkey underestimated his opponents and ended up in ninth place. The last three animals, the Rooster, the Dog, and the Pig all worked together since they were smaller and domesticated. The Rooster grabbed tenth place because he got up the earliest, the Dog finished eleventh because he helped the Pig, who was slow and lazy, but did not fear the muddy terrain.

With the order of the Lunar Calendar established, the Chinese celebrate every year linked to the animal in which that year corresponds to. This year (2019) is the lunar year of 4717, which is the year of the Pig. The next Chinese New Year, 4718, will reset the 12 animal cycle, making it the year of the Rat.

            Chinese people would usually link the traits of the animals to the person born under that year. For example: someone born under the year of the Tiger is said to be aggressive and prideful, like the tiger. Some animals are even seen as more favorable to some people, such as the Dragon, who people say has the greatest luck and prosperity out of all the animals. Though it is fun to learn about someone’s Zodiac, Chinese Christians don’t put any stock into this because we believe that our lives aren’t governed by any animal spirit, only by God.

            The Chinese New Year celebration is full of symbolism, which is why one must understand why there are so many elements surrounding the celebration to fully appreciate and respect the cultures that celebrate the Chinese or Lunar new year. I hope that this article can help you understand the celebration even better and maybe, if you’re in the festive spirit, you could try going to the Chinatown in Philly and join in the celebration next year!  新年快乐!