Chinese New Year Brings Excitement

By Isabella Peng

With December already here, the holiday season is in full swing! While my family doesn’t really celebrate the holidays anymore, there is one particular holiday that has left its mark when mentioned. That, my dear friends, is Chinese New Year which happens to fall on February 12 this year.

Also known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, this holiday welcomes the new year brought by the traditional Lunar Calendar which is based off of the moon rather than the sun. It is the biggest event in China, sort of like Christmas in the US but tenfold. Although customs and traditions vary from family to family and region to region, most celebrations include a big dinner with relatives and friends, a house cleaning, a great deal of red and gold decorations (like oranges and red paper cutouts), and finally the celebrations culminate with the Lantern Festival, honoring deceased relatives and ancestors. Dinner often includes dumplings, noodles, fish, chicken, red beans, or anything else which symbolizes happiness, prosperity or good luck. In addition to these, there are often many colorful parades, including a dragon dance which stands for auspiciousness and good future which wards away the buckaboos or evil spirits.

However, some of you may think immediately about the red pockets full of money, symbolizing prosperity, good fortune, and good luck. Yes, “I like dollas, I like diamonds, I like million dollar deals,” (Cardi B- I Like It) sort of situation. When I was about 8 years old, my dad gave me, my sister, and my brothers each a red pocket. Inside was a ten dollar bill to which I went Skrrat, skidi-kat-kat Boom (Big Shaq - Mans Not Hot)! After savoring the fact I was ten whole dollars richer for approximately a minute, my man decided to go all Sheriff of Nottingham and promptly told us that he would help “safeguard” our money until we got older. That was his way of informing us that we were never going to see them greenbacks again, but we didn’t know that at the time. Oh well, it’s not like we could use the money anyway.

I’m going to spend this holiday locked in (Jack Harlow - Whats Poppin) because of the coronavirus situation and I suggest you do the same because we want to keep the world healthy, kids! Do your part! So I highly encourage you all to watch QPark, Lourd Asprec, and Willy Wonka on TikTok! Stay safe and happy holidays!