Lunar New Year: The Beginning of the New Year and the Arrival of Spring
Written by Béline Chan (Opinion Editor)
For most countries around the world, New Year is celebrated from December 31st to the 1st of January, but for many Asian Countries, such as China, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, Singapore and Indonesia (among others), they celebrate the New Year according to the Lunisolar Calendar. Rather than following the Gregorian calendar (which relates to the patterns of the Sun, i.e., a solar calendar), the Lunar Calendar tries to correspond to the phases of the moon, which entails a period of 12 lunations. The Lunar New Year is also known as The Spring Festival, as the festival celebrates the arrival of Spring. The Lunar New Year does not take place on the same day each year as it falls after the second new moon after the Winter Solstice. Therefore, the holiday is always celebrated between January and February. This 2023’s Lunar New Year started on the 22nd of January, and this is a holiday that is celebrated continuously for a few weeks. Unlike the zodiac signs that countries might be used to in the west such as Pisces, Sagittarius, Cancer etc., the Lunar Calendar follows the Chinese zodiacs, which are followed by Japan, Thailand, China and many other countries also. These zodiac signs are represented by 12 animals : Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Every person is ‘assigned’ a zodiac animal, correlating to the year they are born in. For example, if you were born in the year of 2000, your Chinese zodiac sign is the Dragon, or if you were born in 2003, yours is the Goat. These zodiacs correlate to the Lunar New Year as the cycle of the 12 zodiacs is repeated, and every year a different animal is represented. This year, it is the year of the Rabbit, which symbolises longevity, good fortune and peace. People often believe that their zodiac sign is closely related to their horoscope, personality, and love compatibility, which is determined by their birth year.
Here are some examples of some positive traits that each zodiac animal represents.
Rat: Quick-witted, kind and adaptable.
Ox: Reliable, determined and strong.
Tiger: Brave, courageous and confident.
Rabbit: Empathic, kind and trustworthy.
Dragon: Lucky, imaginative and enthusiastic.
Snake: Intelligent, organised and attentive.
Horse: Energetic, ambitious and loyal.
Goat: Calm, gentle and charming.
Monkey: Sociable, optimistic and smart.
Rooster: Hardworking, confident and honest.
Dog: Helpful, timid and trustworthy.
Pig: Generous, caring and passionate.
There are many other traits, meanings and stories behind these zodiac signs, so it is without a doubt that Chinese zodiac signs hold great importance to the Chinese culture and Lunar New Year. Because there are so many countries that celebrate the Lunar New Year, I will discuss some customs that relate to the Chinese and Korean celebration of it. Food is an important aspect of Lunar New Year as it brings family together. The meals can hold a symbolic meaning which will then pull through throughout the year. For Chinese New Year, fish is an important part of the meal as it symbolises wealth and prosperity. Other meats are also eaten such as duck, chicken and pork. Dumplings, rice, longevity noodles, fruit, spring rolls and rice balls are also important foods eaten to celebrate the New Year.
Although different areas throughout Korea can have their own special dishes, in general, Koreans will have rice, soup, meat, seafood, liquor, fruit and vegetables as part of their New Year (Seollal) celebration. Tteokguk (which is Korean rice cake soup) wishes good fortune and wealth (it is important to note that different regions in Korea have different ingredients for their soup, such as dumpling soup, or rice cake and dumpling soup, and soups with other meaty ingredients). Japchae noodles (Korean glass noodles), Galbi-jjim (Korean braised pork) and Bulgogi (beef grilled on a barbeque) are also popular dishes eaten during the celebration.
Some other customs during the Chinese New Year include the wearing of red clothes (for happiness, good fortune, wealth and to ward off bad luck), ancestor worship, red money pockets, fireworks and festivals. Other customs during Seollal are ancestor rituals (Charye), visiting family, playing traditional games, sebae (where you bow to your elders and receive money) and hanbok wearing (traditional Korean dress).
Chinese New Year festivals are at the heart of the Lunar New Year celebration, including important dancing dragons (a traditional Chinese dance performance where a team of dancers move a dragon prop to music), fireworks and firecrackers. Millions of people travel back to China to celebrate this holiday each year. In other countries such as Mongolia, the festival is called ‘Tsagaan sar’ or ‘The White Moon festival’. In Korea it is known as ‘Seollal’ and in Vietnam, the day is called ‘Tết Nguyên Đán’, or ‘Tết’ (Festival of the First Morning of the First Day). It is estimated that around 2 billion people each year celebrate the Lunar New Year.
Even though Ireland does not celebrate Lunar New Year as its own national holiday, there are many families and individuals living in Ireland where the Lunar New Year is part of their culture, and they carry on celebrating it here. Additionally, there are also Irish people who enjoy taking part in the festivities.
How Lunar New Year is celebrated in Ireland: As I have a Hong Kong background myself, the Lunar New Year festival is one of my favourite holidays to celebrate. This year, I have celebrated it with some of my friends by cooking various dishes (dumplings, dim sum, spring rolls, lucky dessert), listening to traditional Chinese music, wearing red clothing for good fortune, and watching a movie in relation to one of my favourite Chinese legends, the legend of Chang’e, the Chinese Moon Goddess.
I also asked some other students about their experiences in celebrating Lunar New Year in Ireland, and food was definitely an important aspect of the celebration. One person mentioned how she had a large Chinese meal to celebrate, another mentioned that he hosted a small party with their roommates and invited some guests. They handed out red money envelopes (filled with chocolate for a more affordable gift) and they made decorations as well such as banners/scrolls to wish good fortune for the year. Additionally, they had a range of dishes from dumplings to vegetables, and from dim sum to meat dishes. Another student mentioned that she watched a movie with her friend and had a meal to celebrate. A friend of hers also gifted a box of biscuit treats for the celebration, sent all the way from her hometown in Macau.
Societies in different universities celebrate this festival with students, providing food, games and crafts, and there are other events that take place throughout Ireland as well. In Dublin, there was a Mad Hatter’s Chinese Tea Party event, hosted by Asia Market. Chinese food and Chinese folktales were part of this event that was directed at families. Chester Beatty Library held a rice grain challenge, where you draw Chinese sayings on a single grain of rice. They also hosted craft events and an online discussion event on Lunar New Year art. There was also a flagship event which was organised by the Dublin City Council. The event took place at Meeting House Square in Dublin, where there was a variety of music and show performances, including Cantonese Lion Dancers and Korean drummers, various games, authentic food, activities and workshops. Although most of these larger Lunar New Year events take place in Dublin, it is great to see Ireland supporting and taking part in a celebration that means so much to the Asian community in Ireland. However, in the future, it would be even better to see these events spread around Ireland, to make it more accessible to those who do not reside in Dublin. Regardless of your background, there is something fun for everyone to celebrate when it comes to the Lunar New Year. Whether there is Chinese lion dancing or traditional music, martial arts performances or traditional clothing, many countries all around the world celebrate Lunar New Year with customs and traditions relating to their culture. This is a celebration that can be enjoyed by everyone regardless of where you are located.
恭喜发财! (Gong-hei-fat-choy/ Happy New Year).
