Lunar New Year
By Kinsey Liu
6 March, 2024
This 2024, year of the dragon, Lunar New Year began on Saturday, February 10th, on a new moon. Lunar New Year is typically a 15 day celebration recognizing the beginning of spring and the arrival of a new year on the lunisolar calendar and ends on the following full moon. It is mostly widely celebrated in China though other countries like South Korea and Vietnam celebrate as well.
How it is celebrated
The two-week celebration generally includes large friends and family gatherings and dinners, fireworks, parades, and parties, though there is a multitude of ways that people will celebrate. People will wear new clothes, typically red, which is said to ward off evil spirts. Huge dinners often include but are not limited to dumplings (jiaozi), said to look like gold ingots; sticky rice balls (tangyuan), which symbolizes togetherness; and steamed fish for abundance. Additionally, young people are given what is believed to be “lucky money” from parents and elders in red envelopes. Thorough cleaning of one’s home the eve of the new year to clean away any lingering bad luck is also common. Finally, on the last day of the new year, the Lantern Festival event is held. It is an event in which people hang glowing lanterns in temples and/or carry them during a parade at nighttime. The dragon dance is usually the highlight of the festival, since the dragon is a Chinese symbol of good fortune. The dance involves a long, bright, and colorful dragon being held up through the streets by numerous dancers.
Myths
One widely known story that is often told to children is the myth of the dragon called Nian. Nian was a dragon who every Spring, comes to the village to create chaos and terrorize the village. However, Nian was afraid of loud noises, bright lights, and the color red, so the villagers used those to scare him away. Hence, it is a tradition for family and friends to wear red, set off firecrackers, and put up red decorations to ward off the dragon during Lunar New Year.
How it was celebrated in Millburn
Millburn hosted a Lunar New Year event at Millburn High School featuring many traditional performances such as wushu martial arts, mongolian dances, dragon dances, and an erhu performance. The event also included a multitude of games and a wide display of food.
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