The worldwide Lunar New Year celebration began on February 10, and this year is the year of the Dragon.
This is a very important and fun celebration for Asian culture. In some countries it is known as the Spring Festival; every culture celebrates Lunar New Year in their own way with different traditions and foods.
The Lunar New Year starts with the first new moon of the Chinese calendar. People attend the Lunar New Year festivals and big family dinners that represent good luck for the new year. In these events, people give each other gifts which include presents, good luck fruits, red envelopes, and rice cakes. Lunar New Year is a fifteen day celebration filled with many traditions that represent good luck, such as windows with red paper cuttings, lantern festival, dinners, and dragon dancing.
Mylinh Nguyen (25’) states, “I went to my uncle’s house for a big dinner and I got money from a red envelope. We also burned fake money, had lion dancing, and fireworks.”
Dinners and other events are a time when elders tell old folk stories to express their culture and beliefs as part of the celebration. Also, families burn incense to worship their ancestors. A common tradition during Lunar New Year is giving red envelopes filled with money to young people.
James Nguyen (25’) states, “I sat all day at home during Chinese Lunar New Year and I got a red envelope from my uncle with lots of money. I also saw a lot of places around the city celebrating the Lunar New Year.”
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park hosted a two-day Chinese Lunar New Year celebration filled with fun activities and traditions. The Linda Vista Farmers Market will host Chinese dragon dancing and performances. The Los Penasquitos Preserve will also celebrate the Lunar New Year with storytelling of Asian culture. There will be a Chinese New Year Festival at Balboa Park with food, dances, and cultural performances. The Old Globe theater will also have an event with guest artists, music, and dances. Various parts of San Diego are celebrating the Chinese New Year, the year of the dragon.
