Lunar New Year is a 15-day festival celebrated in many Asian countries and by Chinese communities around the world. It is usually celebrated between January and February and is traditionally marked with decorations, such as red paper cuttings and lanterns. It also includes family dinners with symbolic dishes and the giving of children’s gifts in red envelopes.

Many NDB students celebrate the Lunar New Year through many versions of personal and familial traditions.

“We mainly celebrate on the first day [of the holiday] by burning incense and … eating special dishes,” explained junior Alyse McBride. “There are 12 dishes that symbolize good luck and other things, like noodles that symbolize a long life and fish for prosperity.”

“My family’s tradition is leaving cooked chicken and fish out for Buddha. We also eat special Chinese candy,” described junior Reyna Gonzalez. “This also signifies the new year of the Chinese calendar; I was born in 2008, so I’m the Year of the Rat.”

Many of NDB’s exchange students are from China and have their own special ways of celebrating this holiday.

“In the past few years [in the U.S.], I’ve celebrated with my friends or my uncle. One of the traditions is going out for dim sum on the weekend, where we enjoy small dishes like dumplings, buns and tea while sharing good wishes for the new year. We also exchange greetings virtually with family members,” said junior Helen Chen.

This holiday is a time for people to celebrate the coming of the new year, this time with the Year of the Snake.