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Lunar New Year celebrations in Japan's Yokohama Chinatown.

Lunar New Year celebrations in Japan's Yokohama Chinatown. Credit: Getty Images/Takashi Aoyama

Lunar New Year, an ancient tradition rooted in China that marks the first new moon of the year, is Wednesday.

Celebrations for the Year of the Snake are set for Long Island and across the United States, as well as China, Japan and a host of other countries.

“It is the most important traditional holiday for Chinese culture,” said Meng Li, deputy director for the Nassau County Office of Asian American Affairs. “It usually means the family gathered, nice food, reunions, wishing everybody good luck, prosperity, good health … The most important thing is that family comes together.”

Is it the ‘Chinese New Year’ or the ‘Lunar New Year?’

The two terms are often used interchangeably. In China, the entire 15-day celebration period is also referred to as the Spring Festival.

Many countries celebrate Lunar New Year, including Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.

“We always talk about it as the Chinese New Year,” said Jingsi Christina Wu, an associate professor of media studies at Hofstra University. "though when you live here [in the United States] you realize it’s not just a Chinese celebration and call it the Lunar New Year.”

What is the Year of the Snake?

Twelve zodiac animal symbols are assigned to different years of the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar’s 60-year cycle. The snake, the calendar's sixth zodiac sign, has historically been assigned the attributes of “flexibility” and “adaptability,” according to Agnes Weiyun He, a professor of applied linguistics and the founder and director of the Center for Multilingual and Intercultural Communication at Stony Brook University.

“The Chinese culture tends to associate a person’s temperament, disposition and outlook on life … with the year in which that person was born,” she added.

In 2024, the celebration marked the Year of the Dragon.

What is closed on Lunar New Year?

Lunar New Year is not a federal holiday, meaning the U.S. Postal Service delivers mail and the stock markets open as usual. However, in 2023, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation ordering public schools to close to mark the event.

Chinese Americans hope this pause means younger generations connect with the tradition and that awareness of it will spread to other communities.

“I think that for each immigrant group there’s a tendency to first reduce the idea of your native culture and to embrace and adapt to where you are,” Wu said. “In recent decades, especially, I think that as the Chinese community continues to adapt, they have become more celebratory about their heritage, with a revival in ethnic pride, and that this celebration of the New Year speaks to that.”

How can Long Islanders celebrate?

There are several events in the coming weeks scheduled to recognize Lunar New Year on Long Island.

On Friday, martial arts demonstrations by Syosset-based Sitan Tai Chi and Martial Arts, as well as student performances of songs by K-pop and C-pop artists, are scheduled at Syosset High School.

On Saturday, the Nassau County Office of Asian American Affairs will host a Lunar New Year’s celebration at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts at LIU Post in Brookville. Among other cultural exhibits, visitors can view Chinese calligraphy and sugar painting.

Is there a Lunar New Year's Eve?

While the night before Lunar New Year may not be noted on the Gregorian calendar, the evening closing the old year is an important night for those who ring in the new one.

This is a popular evening for families to gather for their New Year’s reunion and feast.

What is the Lunar New Year dinner menu?

Fish is a key staple of a New Year’s family dinner, as the word for "fish" is a homophone for the word meaning "abundance" or "surplus," according to He.

“It is a good omen,” she said. “You will have a lot, you will experience prosperity in the year ahead.”

Roast pork and chicken are also popular. In China, Lunar New Year dishes can vary by region because of available agriculture, such as the grain grown in the north and rice paddies in the south.

Dumplings have become an “iconic reference for Chinese food culture in North America,” He said, “but dumplings, historically, are only prevalent in the northern part of China. In the south, rice cake is a lot more common.”

Why am I seeing red?

From performers’ costumes to children’s outfits, red is a popular color at Lunar New Year celebrations.

The color is considered to drive away evil, according to Wu.

Red lanterns are also hung at homes and public spaces during Lunar New Year celebrations, including at the Tilles Center, where some will be given away.

“Red is a lucky color in Chinese tradition,” Li said. “It means prosperity, good fortunes, good luck. It’s a favorable color for New Year’s.”

What are some other popular Lunar New Year traditions?

Red is also the color of envelopes children traditionally receive, concealing a present for the New Year.

“Parents and grandparents put money inside — we call it ‘lucky money’ — to give to young kids,” Li said. “To wish them good health, to be good in school and give them New Year’s blessings.” 

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