Happy Lunar New Year from the Divination Hollow Team!

Happy Lunar New Year!

祝你幸福快乐，万事如意

Wishing you happiness and all the best
in the Year of the Ox!

All around the world, people are coming together to celebrate the Lunar New Year with their loved ones;  Asian-Americans in the US will be celebrating along with folks around the globe in China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, North Korea, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines!  Each country has their own version of the festival’s celebrations, but at the central core of each of them is Family.  Whether you’re celebrating with your family by blood or your chosen family and friends, this is the time to reunite and share love, happiness, and joy with one another.  It’s traditionally celebrated over a period of three to seven days, starting today, but celebrations often continue as long as sixteen days!  Today we’ll be focusing mainly on the Chinese celebrations for Lunar New Year, but we encourage you to explore other global celebrations as they are equally important and wonderful.

For New Years Eve, it is traditional to celebrate with firecrackers and fireworks.  But let’s break it down and learn some more about traditions in the Chinese New Year tradition:

• Duilian - These are two vertical banners usually placed on either side of a doorway which announce wishes for good fortune, success, and happiness in the coming year:
  - Wan Shi Ru Yi: May everything be as you wish
  - Da Zhan Hong Tu: May you achieve your great plan
  - Sheng Yi Xing Long: May your business be prosperous

• Fish - Whole fish is a traditional dish served on New Years, and it is considered quite lucky.  It is customary to leave the head, tail and bones in one piece symbolizing a good beginning and end to the year.

• Flowers - The Plum Blossom and the Water Narcissus (or white daffodil) are both prevalent in Chinese New Year celebrations.  Plum blossoms represent growth, hope, and courage.  The Narcissus plants are representative of good fortune and prosperity, and if the blossoms open precisely on New Year Day, it is said to bring good luck all year long!

• Red - This hue is considered an auspicious color in Chinese culture, often used in decor, gift giving, clothing, and more.  It represents life, vitality, good fortune, and prosperity.  Red envelopes, or hong bao, are envelopes filled with money given to unemployed single folks and young children.

• Dragon - Much like many of the other symbols in Chinese new year, this also represents prosperity and good fortune, as well as a cultural symbol that the Chinese people are descendants of the  Dragon. 

• Lanterns - On the 15th day of Lunar New Year celebrations is the Lantern festival. This year it is on February 26th.   Click here to learn more about the festival origins!

Celebrate with Kids and Family

• Make some dragon crafts with the kiddos at home like these from Red Ted Art.

• Chinese dragon puppets would make a great addition for storytime!

• Hang up some handcrafted Chinese Paper Lanterns to get festive!

• Make any of these Twenty Fun Chinese New Year crafts together.

• Read a story together about Lunar New Year.

Make a Chinese Lunar New Year Dinner at Home

• Shochu Punch

• Chou Dao Miu Pea Sprouts

• Prosperity Tossed Salad

• Lunar New Year Dumplings

• Whole Fish with Ginger Sesame Oil

• Chinese New Year Longevity Noodles

• Chinese New Year Dinner and Appetizers (Full menu!)

Supporting Asian Creators Year Round

To celebrate the global Asian cultures that participate in Lunar New Year, we’ve also compiled a wonderful list of books and films by Asian creators and authors for you to check out and support all year round:

• Parasite (Film) by Bong Joon-Ho, Korean

• The Wandering Earth (Film) by Frant Gwo, Chinese

• Rugal (Series), Korean

• Extracurricular (Series), Korean

• 2046 (Film) by Wong Kar-Wai, Chinese

• The Call (Film) by Lee Chung-Hyeon, Korean

• Cities of Last Things (Film) by Wi Ding Ho, Chinese

• The Queen of Black Magic (Film) by Joko Anwar, Indonesian

• The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur

• Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard

• Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

• The Last Fallen Star by Graci Kim

• The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo

• The Obsession by Jessie Q. Sutanto

• The Vegetarian by Han Kang

• The Law of Lines by Hye-Young Pyun

• Seven Years of Darkness You-Jeong Jeong

• How We Fall Apart by Katie Zhou

• The Ones We Are Meant to Find by Joan He

• The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

• American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

• A Gentleman’s Murder by Christopher Huang

18 Things Not to Do for Lunar New Year

Learn More About Chinese New Year

Chinese Spring Festival