In many Asian cultures, the Lunar New Year represents more than the start of a new calendar year. According to Travel and Leisure, the cultural celebration occurs not just in China, but also in Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, the Philippines, and more, with each country having their own customs and traditions. Food, family, and festivities all came together on February 1, 2022 in an explosion to welcome the Year of the Tiger.
China
According to National Geographic, for Chinese people, the Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival lasts for 40 days, with the New Year itself celebrated as a 7-day state holiday. The celebration of the Year of the Tiger began with a mass migration. During chunyun, or spring migration, hundreds of millions people travel to their hometowns in China for family reunions and New Year’s celebrations.
People customarily light firecrackers, thought to chase away the fearful monster Nian, and the color red may be used in clothing and decorations to ensure prosperity. Families and friends exchange hongbao, red envelopes filled with lucky cash. For many AFHS students, this likely may have been a highlight of the day, along with the joy of family, food, and fortune.
Korea
In Korea, the celebration has people make rice cake soup and honor their ancestors during Seollal. According to Travel and Leisure, Lunar New Year remains one of the most important traditional holidays, offering a chance to pay respect to ancestors and elders during the three-day celebration.
Koreans dress in traditional costumes called hanbok, and children show their respect to elders with deep bows. As part of the celebration, children also receive money and words of wisdom for the new year.
Vietnam
During Tết, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, flowers play an important role in the celebrations. Vietnamese homes begin to be decorated with kumquat trees and flowers like peach blossoms, chrysanthemums, and orchids.As in China, travel is heavy during the holiday as family members gather to mark the new year.
Family and food continue to play a theme, with traditional treats like bánh tét (log-like cylinder) and bánh chưng (square) sticky rice cakes, playing a vital role in the celebrations.
According to History, just like China with the qipao, Vietnam has its own traditional costume — the áo dài — a silk tunic with slits on either side that's worn over pants by both men and women.
Even though the spread of Omicron continues to impact the way people celebrate this year, for many, the happy occasion still remains a symbol of goodwill and hope. After all, Asian cultures, in their superstitious ways, stress the importance of lucky numbers, food, language, and the colors red and gold during the period.
Comentarios