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Step 1
At the stroke of midnight New Year’s Day, open every window and door to let the old year out. Make sure everyone in the family is together when you do this to promote a strong family bond into the New Year. Time to welcome in the New Year!
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Step 2
Greet family, friends, neighbors, co-workers with “Happy New Year!” Whether you decide to say this in English or any other language, the meaning and good intentions will still remain the same.
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Step 3
Visit Chinatown or another community in your area that celebrates this occasion. For example, in Westminster's Little Saigon in Orange County, California, the Vietnamese community throws a Tet (Lunar New Year) Festival. Traditional foods, candies, parades, carnival rides, cultural booths, acrobatics and other live entertainment can usually be found attracting the masses every year. If you live in or around a major city, and are looking for a Lunar New Year event, check out the resources below (Chinese New Year Celebrations in Major Cities).
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Step 4
Watch the dragon or lion dance at a festival, Chinese restaurant, or mall. Check your local newspaper, library, or community website to find out when and where a dragon or lion dance will be performed. Although this ritual to scare off evil spirits can be loud, it is often a lively crowd pleaser that ought not to be missed.
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Step 5
Visit a flower expo, garden, or market. Check online, your local newspaper, library, or community website to find a flower expo, garden, or market near you featuring special Lunar New Year plants. Flower blooming plants or trees, such as the lucky bamboo, kumquat, narcissus, plum blossom and peach blossom plants are a symbol of luck and prosperity when they bloom on New Year’s Day! Watch flower arranging, stroll through rows of flowers and citrus plants, or make a purchase and decorate your home with a new plant to commemorate the new year!
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Step 6
The night of the first full moon after the start of the New Year (15 days past) marks the end of the festivities. Celebrate this at the Lantern Festival where you can possibly witness or be a part of an evening procession of glowing lanterns. Again, check your local newspaper, library, or community website to find out when and where there is a Lantern Festival.
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Step 7
Do not have a community with Lunar New Year festivities nearby? Host a Chinese New Year dinner banquet, picnic, or luncheon (traditional foods served will vary depending on the culture you plan on following). Dress the children in new clothes and shoes in bright colors, preferably red, to promote a luck and good fortune. If there are no festivals and parades in or around your town, why not have them come to you? Watch the San Francisco Chinese New Year Festival and Parade on television.
Comments
vikki9 said
on 1/26/2009 The Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco (celebrating the Year of the Ox) will be on Sat, February 7, 2009. It's the largest Chinese New Year Parade in the US - if you can get to The City to see it, do! Happy New Year!
2besure said
on 1/21/2009 Sounds like great fun.
opec135 said
on 1/18/2009 China new year is coming . it is 2009-01-26 . All of China and people exciting . we will have 10 days holiday . my name is Cuile . i from ShanDong province of China . welcome to China ! Best blessings .
WaterSprite said
on 1/17/2009 What a cool idea! Nice article, MommyBear. 5*'s!!