Lunar New Year

By Vivian Tran

Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year is a holiday that celebrates the coming of spring in Eastern and Southeastern Asia, marking the new year of the traditional lunar calendar. The people celebrate this tradition for two weeks, feasting and partying with friends. It dates back over 3,000 years, and the dates on the calendar are determined by the sun and the moon. For example, every new moon is a new month. There are many distinct activities that some people do around the world, however, the most notable are rituals or festivals. Something that is a part of Lunar New Year is when visiting a relative or so, you would wish them a happy new year and hope that they will live long, be prosperous, etc. Lunar New Year is also an occasion when red envelopes are handed out. Red envelopes are given during birthdays, weddings, and so on; they are given as a gift and are filled with cash or coins.

During Lunar New Year, my family goes all over the place. Firstly, my family gets dressed in proper attire, with long dresses with pants underneath, both worn by men and women, but it is a choice. Soon, we headed up to Portland, where my parents went to the temple where the ceremony is held; it takes about over an hour. Once the ceremony is over, you can stay in the temple to eat some food prepared by the chefs of the temple, you can volunteer to clean up afterwards too. Then, we would go around from relative to relative to hang around and wish them a happy new year to receive a red envelope. Later, there is a party held to celebrate this special time of year.