Simple Ways to Celebrate the Lunar New Year (with Pictures) (2024)

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Co-authored byMegaera Lorenz, PhD

Last Updated: March 11, 2021References

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   Clean your home before the new year to “sweep away” bad luck. Before the start of the new year, take a few days to thoroughly clean out your home. Attend to cleaning chores you might neglect on a day-to-day basis, like washing the windows, sweeping under and behind large pieces of furniture, and touching up old paint. These cleaning rituals are thought to help drive out misfortune and help you start fresh for the new year.^[1]

   • Avoid doing any sweeping or other cleaning on New Year’s day, since many people believe that doing so will cause your new good fortune to be swept away!^[2]
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   Decorate your home with red lanterns. Red lanterns are a traditional symbol of the Lunar New Year.^[3] Buy some beautiful red paper lanterns to hang up in your home, or celebrate by making your own!

   • Some people write wishes on their lanterns in the hopes of helping their dreams for the new year come true.
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   Fill your home with colorful flowers. Flowers are a wonderful way to brighten up your home and symbolize rebirth and renewal for the new year. Purchase some fresh-cut flowers, potted plants, or even a tiny peach or orange tree, and set them around the home to give it a festive look.^[4]

   • Different flowers have different meanings for what they'll bring into the new year. For example, narcissus flowers bring good luck and prosperity, gladiolas are for good luck in careers, and chrysanthemums symbolize longevity and wealth.^[5]
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   Set out oranges as a symbol of wealth and good fortune. Tangerines and oranges are symbols of luck, success, and wealth in many Asian countries. During the Lunar New Year festivities, put out decorative bowls of oranges, incorporate them into your meals, or exchange them as gifts to celebrate and express your wishes for a prosperous new year.^[6]

   • If you visit other people during the new year holiday, bring a couple oranges with you to give them as a present!^[7]
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   Hang decorations on your doors with good wishes for the new year. To help welcome the new year, hang up red paper banners beside and above your door. Decorate them with wishes for health, happiness, and prosperity.^[8]

   • You can make your own new year banners with colored paper and paint, or purchase pre-made ones online or in stores that sell Asian décor.

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   Wear new clothes to celebrate the start of the new year. The Lunar New Year marks a period of renewal, so take the opportunity to get some new, festive clothing!^[9] Consider getting a formal outfit to help you celebrate the occasion with flare.

   • For example, in China, Korea, and Tibet, people put on newly made traditional garments (such as a red cheongsam in China or a colorful hanbok in Korea) to celebrate the new year.
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   Put on something sentimental to help you connect with your ancestors. The Lunar New Year is about celebrating the people who came before you as well as what lies ahead. Consider wearing an heirloom or a hand-me-down from someone who’s important to you in addition to your brand new holiday attire.^[10]

   • For example, you might wear some jewelry that belonged to your grandmother or put on your dad’s old hat.
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   Dress in red to symbolize joy and good fortune. Red is a symbol of joy and passion in some Asian countries. This fiery color is also thought to help ward off misfortune, so many people traditionally dress in red to celebrate the Lunar New Year.^[11] Get festive with some bright red clothes and accessories!

   • For example, you might buy a new red shirt or dress to celebrate the new year.
   • In some countries, such as China and Singapore, it’s considered especially lucky to wear red underwear—especially if you’re entering your zodiac year!^[12]
   • Keep in mind that red isn’t an appropriate color for all Lunar New Year celebrations. For instance, in Mongolia, people traditionally dress and decorate in white for the new year instead of red.^[13]
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   Avoid wearing black clothes during any festivities to keep away bad luck. The color black is associated with death and mourning in several Asian countries. For this reason, it’s best not to wear it during the Lunar New Year. Instead, stick to festive colors like red and gold.^[14]

   • In some countries, such as China and Vietnam, white is also considered a symbol of death and mourning that should be avoided during the Lunar New Year.^[15] However, in other countries, such as Korea and Mongolia, white is often incorporated into New Year clothing and decorations.^[16]

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   Visit Asian food markets in your area to get traditional foods. Special foods are an important part of almost every Lunar New Year celebration.^[17] To prepare for the feasts that mark this exciting time of year, visit an Asian food market in your town to get the ingredients you need.

   • If you’re not sure where to go, do a search using terms like “Korean food store near me” or “Chinese food market Toledo.”
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   Have fish as a symbol of plenty and prosperity. In many countries, fish are a traditional part of Lunar New Year cuisine. Eat fish to invite prosperity into your home, or simply to enjoy the delicious flavor!^[18]

   • Many families in China celebrate the New Year by eating whole steamed fish because the word for fish sounds like “surplus.”
   • If you’re celebrating the Vietnamese New Year festival, Tet, try carp cooked in clay pots or meat cooked in fish sauce, two of the most popular dishes for the holiday season.
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   Eat rice cakes for purity and good luck. Rice cakes are a popular New Year dish all across Asia. You can eat them in soup or as a tasty side with your New Year feast.^[19]

   • In Korea, eating rice cake soup is an important tradition that marks the transition from the old year to the new. The white cakes are thought to bring purity and good fortune.^[20]
   • In Okinawa, people celebrate with sweet, colorful, sticky rice cakes, called muchi, wrapped in palm leaves.^[21]
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   Make and eat dumplings to symbolize unity and wealth. Dumplings are a staple of Lunar New Year cuisine in countries such as China, Singapore, and Tibet.^[22] Making dumplings together is a wonderful, traditional way to bond with your family, friends, and neighbors in the days leading up to the new year.^[23]

   • In Tibet, special dumplings are stuffed with different objects that are meant to reflect your fortune for the coming year, such as a pepper, a piece of coal or wool, or a bean.^[24]

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1. See Also

   Celebrating Lunar New Year in the Classroom + Free Word Search

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   Take time to honor your elders and ancestors. Honoring your elders is a vital part of any Lunar New Year celebration. Make time to visit with your older family members and show your respect for them, or invite them into your home to celebrate with you. It’s also a good time to stop and reflect on your family members who have passed away.^[25]

   • For instance, you might show your respect by bowing to your grandparents, giving them cards or gifts, or making sure that they eat first at holiday meals.
   • You don’t have to stick to honoring your own relatives. Consider visiting an elderly neighbor and bringing them a gift and some good wishes for the new year. If you have kids, get them involved to help them learn the value of treating their elders with kindness and respect.^[26]
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   Give small gifts of money in red envelopes to children in the family. Gifts of money symbolize wishes for prosperity in the new year. If there are any kids or young, unmarried adults in your family, give them a little money in a red envelope or a small silk or cotton pouch.^[27]

   • If possible, use crisp, brand new bills.
   • Along with the money, offer good wishes for the new year. For example, you might wish the recipient good luck with their studies in school, or for their own dreams and wishes to come true.^[28]
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   Visit with your neighbors. The Lunar New Year isn’t just about family—it’s also about community. Take time to visit your neighbors with gifts or good wishes for the year to come, or invite them into your own home to cook and chat, dine, or play games if it's safe to do so.^[29]

   • If you don’t know your neighbors, the Lunar New Year is a good opportunity to meet them. Introduce yourself and wish them a happy new year!
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   Make traditional holiday foods with your family and friends. Cooking together is a special way to bond with your loved ones during the Lunar New Year. In the days leading up to the big holiday feast, sit down with family and friends to cook your favorite traditional New Year dishes. Get everyone in the family involved, young and old.^[30]

   • Making food delicious together, and sharing it with your guests, is thought to bring good fortune.
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   Set off firecrackers together to drive away bad luck. Firecrackers are a vital part of the Lunar New Year festivities in many Asian countries. Purchase some firecrackers and set them off with your loved ones to make some noise, celebrate, and scare away misfortune for the coming year.^[31]

   • You can also decorate your home with red and gold firecracker decorations.
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   Play games together. Have fun and celebrate with your loved ones by playing games. These could include board games, card games, or dice games.^[32]

   • If you celebrate the Lantern Festival, make a game of it by attaching riddles to the lanterns. Have fun challenging your friends and family members to answer them correctly.^[33]
   • In Vietnam and Thailand, people enjoy gambling during the Lunar New Year festivities as a symbol of wealth and good fortune. Some also believe that the results of the games can indicate what their luck will be like in the coming year.

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   Look online for Lunar New Year festivities in your area. Parades, lantern-lighting festivals, musical performances, firework shows, and other public festivities are all fun ways to celebrate the Lunar New Year.^[34] To find out what kinds of festivities are happening in your area, do a search online or check the Arts and Entertainment section of your local newspaper.

   • Use search terms like “Lunar New Year celebration near me.”
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   Watch a parade on TV or online if you can’t attend in person. If there aren’t any major festivities in your area, you can still catch them on television or online. Tune in on TV or check out a YouTube live stream of some of the major celebrations happening in your country or around the world.

   • For example, in the U.S., there are major Lunar New Year parades that take place in major cities like New York and San Francisco, and these are typically televised. These parades often feature members of a wide variety of Asian-American communities, including Chinese, Filipino, Korean, and Vietnamese groups.^[35]
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   Attend a lion or dragon dance. Lion and dragon dances, as well as a variety of other dances and acrobatic performances, are some of the most stunning and iconic forms of Lunar New Year celebration.^[36] Look online to find out if one of these amazing dances is happening in your community.

   • Lion and dragon dances involve groups of people performing acrobatic dances inside elaborate, multi-person costumes. These dances are thought to bring good fortune to the community.
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   Participate in a Lantern Festival. The Lantern Festival marks the end of the Lunar New Year celebration season in many parts of Asia. During this fun and beautiful festival, people parade outside with elaborately decorated paper lanterns. Check online to find out if there’s a lantern festival in your area and find out how you can participate.^[37]

   • In the U.S., the Lantern Festival often corresponds with other types of celebrations and festivities, such as parades and dances.^[38]
   • The Lantern Festival is commonly associated with the Chinese New Year, but it’s also celebrated in a variety of other countries, such as Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

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