This Saturday, February 10, is the Lunar New Year - a celebration of the arrival of spring and the coming new year in the lunisolar calendar.
Over 1.5 billion people around the world celebrate the Lunar New Year. It is one of the most important holidays in China, but it is also celebrated in many other Asian countries such as South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan and the Philippines.
In the Chinese zodiac, 2024 is the Year of the Dragon. There are twelve different animals in the zodiac, and the common belief is that a person’s horoscope, personality and love life are related to the zodiac sign determined by their birth year. However, different regions of Asia may acknowledge a different zodiac, or they may not observe the zodiac at all.
There are many Lunar New Year traditions such as cleaning your house to clear out bad luck, gathering with family to share a meal together, wearing red, or enjoying traditional treats like mandarin oranges. Mahjong and other gambling-based games are popular. Firecrackers are set off at midnight. Many will visit temples to pay respect to deceased loved ones on both the eve and the day of the Lunar New Year.
In Chinese celebrations, dinner shared together might include a whole chicken -to symbolize prosperity, togetherness of the family and joy - and a whole fish - to symbolize surplus, prosperity and wealth. Some Korean Lunar New Year food includes kimchi dumplings, tteokguk (rice cake soup), and yaksik (sweet rice with dried fruit and nuts). Yee sang or “The Prosperity Toss Salad” is a popular dish in Malaysia.
Many cultures will also exchange red envelopes - hóngbāo, in Chinese - filled with money with family and friends to symbolize good wishes and luck for the year ahead. While the tradition is often to give these envelopes to children, there are many customs to give money to friends, family, colleges and other relatives.
You can celebrate the Lunar New Year with us at Yonkers Public Library. Join us at the Riverfront Branch on Friday, February 9th at 3:45 PM for a Lunar New Year Craft, or Celebrate Lunar New Year at the Crestwood Branch on Saturday, February 10th at 1:00 PM with DIY instant noodle soup.
You can also check out these Lunar New Year book recommendations here, or ask a librarian for more specific recommendations.
Alison Robles is a Part-Time Junior Clerk at the Crestwood Library. She is an avid reader with a passion for YA lit, historical fiction and fantasy. A Yonkers native, she graduated from Iona University in 2020 with a dual-degree in Marketing and Public Relations. She is pursuing an MS in Information and Library Science from the University at Buffalo.