Today is the last day of the year on the lunar calendar before the Lunar New Year 農曆新年, also known as the Spring Festival 春節. Across the globe, people of Asian ancestries celebrate or will be celebrating the forthcoming of a new year. Here we provide some ways we celebrate Lunar New Year in Taiwan.
On new year’s eve 除夕, people gather with their families (traditionally the paternal side) and have a big meal 團圓飯 or 年夜飯. It is traditional to include a whole fish as one of the dishes for the big meal in hope that every year there will be extra fortunes left for use in future years 年年有餘 (“to have extra 餘” is pronounced the same as “fish 魚” in Mandarin Chinese). When I was a child, my family always have the dinner homemade to be enjoyed with my father’s side of the family. Nowadays it is not uncommon for people to go to restaurants on new year’s eve and enjoy the meal with whichever side of the family. After the meal, the family sits and chats, watches some TV, plays board games etc. Many children look most forward to receiving red envelope 紅包 that has money 壓歲錢 inside from their parents and relatives (as you might have noticed, red is a color of auspiciousness). Many people don’t sleep until midnight 守歲 in hope for a year full of prosperity, fortune, and peace.
On new year’s day 大年初一, children can sleep in as it is a day on which all tools in the house get to rest (and also as a result of 守歲). On this day, people open their front doors and greet each other for the new year 拜年. Many people also go to temples to pray for a safe, fortunate, and prosperous year. By tradition, people cannot cook fresh food but should eat the leftover from new year’s eve to symbolize the good fortune left from last year will be available this year. Not all people do this for health concerns.
On second day of new year 大年初二, married daughters visit their birth parents with their families 回娘家. Another big meal usually occurs on this day again on my mother’s side of the family.
On the following days, people visit relatives and friends while eating more delicious food, and the celebration continues on until the 15th day of the new year 元宵, on which many people celebrate by going to the Lantern Festival.
We wish everyone a wonderful Lunar New Year full of fortunes, prosperity, auspiciousness, luck, peace, and have an awesome year of the Dragon!!!
祝大家在新的一年裡，大吉大利、四季平安、五福臨門、心想事成、財源滾滾、年年有餘、福星高照、添福增壽、萬事如意、闔家平安、龍年行大運!!!!
Vi ønsker alle et godt kinesisk nyttår full av formuers, velstand, hell, fred, og ha et kjempeflott år av dragen!!!!
