Whether celebrate the Lunar New Year according to the lunar calendar such as in China, or Vietnam, welcoming the new year according to the solar calendar like Japan, or celebrating the New Year according to the Buddhist calendar such as in Laos, Thailand, or Vietnam, let’s explore how people in Asia celebrate the Lunar New year in this article!
Asian countries still keep their customs. its unique tradition. It may be strange customs, practices, and traditions, but for the people of these countries, this is the way to start a new year full of luck.
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Celebrate the lunar new year in Japan
New Year or Oshogatsu is the most important holiday of the year for the people of the land of the rising sun. Previously, the Japanese celebrated the New Year based on the lunar calendar. Still, since the adoption of the solar calendar in 1873, the Japanese have celebrated the new year like many Western countries on January 1.
Celebrating the New Year with the Japanese is a family holiday. For those who work in cities, this is probably one of the few occasions they visit their homeland or take advantage of this series of holidays to travel.
Regardless of how you celebrate the new year, “Bonenkai” parties to “forget the old year” still exist in Japanese culture. The parties held throughout December are a place for everyone, especially office workers, to relieve stress during the past year.
After year-end parties, the Japanese conduct “Osouji” – the ritual of cleaning houses and offices for Tet. “Osouji” is not only about preparing the home for the new year, but it is also a ritual symbolizing a new, bright beginning.
On New Year’s Eve, Japanese people often eat longevity noodles “Toshikoshi soba”. The longer the soba noodles, the more affirmation of belief about a long happy life. At the time of New Year’s Eve, local temples will ring 108 bells – symbolizing 108 worldly desires of people from a Buddhist point of view.
During the first 3 days of the year, Japanese people often eat dishes such as herring roe, seaweed, fish cake, mashed sweet potato, chestnuts, and burdock root. The color of each dish, decoration, and presentation also represent different aspects of luck in Japanese culture. In particular, it is indispensable to have rice cake soup, a dish that wishes for good luck in the new year.
The custom of decorating the house to welcome the new year of the Japanese also shows unique cultural features. A gate called “Kadomatsu” is placed in front of the door from January 1st to 7th. The entrance is made of 3 bamboo poles cut beveled to different lengths and tied with straw along with a pine tree branch. The bamboo tree represents vigorous growth, while the pine needle is a symbol of longevity.
These decorations are hung on the entrances of houses and shops on the first days of the year with the purpose of warding off evil spirits. The tray of “Kagami mocha” – a tangerine placed on two thick cakes is often placed in shrines at families and companies, representing the continuity between the old year and the new year and the continuation of tradition. good between generations in the family.
On New Year’s Day, Japanese people will wear kimonos and visit the shrine to pray for peace and happiness for the whole year. The famous shrines in Asakusa or Kyoto often have a large number of people coming to offer incense on this occasion.
Celebrate the new year in Korea
Koreans also celebrate the new year according to the lunar calendar like the Vietnamese people, this tradition has existed for thousands of years. New Year is the occasion when most Koreans gather with their families and worship their ancestors. Korean New Year celebrations begin with people wearing traditional Hanbok.
The New Year is the occasion to reconnect with the family, so the most important ritual for Koreans on the first day of the year is “Charye” – a ritual to pray for the peace and health of the ancestors. The traditional dishes placed on the altar include Rice cake soup, sweet potato noodles with meat and vegetables, pork ribs with sauce, traditional biscuits, and fruits.
Koreans maintain the fine custom that is “Sebae” “- the bowing ritual. After the meal, children and grandchildren will respectfully bow and give gifts to grandparents and parents. Then, the elders will give their children lucky red envelopes.
At the beginning of the year, people in the land of kimchi have a habit of eating rice cake soup “Teokguk” to pray for a long life. The rice cake bar is cut into round pieces in the shape of a coin, and at the same time, it means to pray for rebirth and abundance of wealth.
After the meal, it is time for the family to play traditional outdoor games such as kite flying, shuttlecock, archery, or wooden stick. Younger generations gather to watch movies and play computer games. If family members do not gather in one place to celebrate Tet, the younger generations often visit and wish their relatives Tet. This is a good traditional custom of the Korean people, as well as many other Asian countries.
Celebrate the new year in China
For thousands of years, the Chinese people have maintained the tradition of welcoming the new year according to the lunar calendar with many unique customs. On the last days of the year, Chinese people clean the house together.
In Chinese, dirt is synonymous with the word “Chen” which means old. Therefore, the year-end cleaning aims to banish old, unlucky things from the house to be ready for a new beginning. In addition to cleaning up for the New Year, the Chinese also shop from some furniture to new dishes. These items symbolize welcoming good things to come. Food, cake, and fruit are also on every family’s shopping list.
The Chinese have the custom of hanging Tet couplets to express good hopes. Starting from the Song Dynasty (960-1279), Tet couplets were originally written on wood, now the Chinese have replaced peach wood with red paper.
To decorate the house for the New Year, the Chinese often stick the word “Fu” on the gate or on some furniture in the house to pray for luck and happiness. In addition, the Chinese especially love to stick pictures of gods at the door, in order to ward off evil spirits, attract good luck, and keep the house warm.
The paintings come in pairs, often depicting generals who were ordained as gods of the Tang Dynasty. The Chinese also decorate their homes with the art of knotting, which is a traditional handicraft art form that appeared in the Tang and Song dynasties and was popularized in the Ming dynasties.
The reunion dinner with many delicious dishes cooked sophisticatedly is the occasion for all family members to gather together. Eating dumplings is a custom on New Year’s Eve. The round shape of the dumpling resembles a coin image, symbolizing wealth in the new year. In addition to dumplings, the Chinese also eat candy for sweet life and peanuts for health and longevity.
The custom of setting off firecrackers on New Year’s Eve or the first morning of the Chinese year is rooted in the legend of the monster Nian 2000 years ago. People throw bamboo into the fire to scare away monsters. After gunpowder was invented, the Chinese replaced bamboo with firecrackers.
Chinese people send each other happy New Year wishes through paper or digital cards, text messages, voice messages, videos, and g. Today, in addition to the lucky money red envelopes prepared by the elderly for children, digital red envelopes are sent to each other online.
A traditional custom of the Chinese people, especially in Beijing, is to visit temples and pagodas on New Year’s Day and visit relatives and friends. Many lively traditional cultural activities are still preserved by the Chinese people such as the Dragon dance, lion dance, and yang ko dance. The Lantern Festival is held on the evening of the 15th day of the first lunar month, marking the end of the New Year festival. In many cities, lantern festivals are held in some historical sites and famous buildings, where visitors can enjoy the beauty of traditional Chinese art.
Celebrate the new year in Thailand
The Thai people call the traditional New Year’s Day Songkran, which is held on April 13-15 to welcome the new year. This is the time when Thai people pay their respects to the Buddha, clean their houses and splash water on the elderly to show their love. During this time, there will also be many festivals and beauty pageants held. In addition, on the first days of the new year, Thai people will eat traditional food and wear the cultural costumes of their nation. Like Laos, this country also organizes the festival of splashing water on each other to wish good luck in their lives.
During this time, there will also be many festivals and beauty pageants held. In addition, on the first days of the new year, Thai people will eat traditional food and wear the cultural costumes of their nation. Like Laos, this country also organizes the festival of splashing water on each other to wish good luck in their lives.
Celebrate the new year in Singapore
About 80% of Singapore’s population is Chinese, so the country attaches great importance to the Lunar New Year, the preparation for this great holiday begins a few weeks before.
For Singaporeans, the Lunar New Year is a time to forgive and forget grudges, as well as a time to express sincerity and wish for peace and prosperity for all.
The most important part of the new year is the year-end meal for the whole family on New Year’s Eve. Whether that meal is at home or at a restaurant, fish is still an indispensable dish. They believe that eating fish at the beginning of the year will bring good luck.
During Tet, married people will celebrate the age of grandparents, parents, and children in the family. New Year’s money in Singapore is called “ang pow”. In addition to red packets, they also exchange ripe tangerines, symbolizing good luck. All those gifts must be in pairs or pairs because Singaporeans believe that odd numbers will bring bad luck.
Like China, the Lunar New Year in this island nation takes place for 15 days. But the first 2 days are the most important. On this day, families will visit relatives and friends or participate in interesting activities.
Celebrate the new year in Philippine
New Year in the Philippines takes place from December 30 of the solar calendar, which is also the celebration of the Philippine day Jose Lisar – patriotic poet, and national hero who initiated the independence movement, so today it is also called “Hero’s Day”.
On New Year’s Eve festivals, all the streets are filled with flowers and flowers, and people everywhere parade, dance, and sing along the streets, banging gongs and drums in the sky. This activity lasts until January 7. Then on January 9 Filipinos continue to welcome the god Narareno.
Celebrate the new year in Malaysia
Malaysian New Year’s Day begins on January 1 (according to the Islamic calendar). Still, the houses are cleaned and decorated cleanly, and the streets are decorated with many brilliant colors. Only thing is, about 10 days before Tet, Malaysian Muslim people do not buy many delicious and exotic foods for Tet but start fasting (only snacking before sunset), because they think it is the right thing to do. show sympathy for the suffering of the poor on earth as the word of Allah teaches.
Celebrate the new year in Vietnam
Lunar New Year is the most important holiday in Vietnam. There are many customs performed during Tet such as visiting relatives on New Year’s Day, worshiping ancestors, wishing Tet, and giving lucky money to children and the elderly.
New year in Vietnam can be divided into three periods, called New Year’s Eve (before New Year’s Eve), New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s (New Year’s), symbolizing the preparation before Tet, the New Year’s Eve moment and the days in the New Year.
Before New Year’s Eve
Two weeks before the new year, the general atmosphere is bustling with shopping, decorating the house, cooking traditional Tet dishes, and waiting for relatives to return home. In the days leading up to the new year, the streets are full of people. Since shops will be closed during the new year, everyone is busy shopping for food, clothes, and decorations for their homes.
One of the special things about the new year is the decorations. The most typical decorations that almost every Vietnamese family has in their house during Tet are peach blossom trees, kumquat trees, and apricot trees. Flowers such as chrysanthemums or orchids are also used for embellishment. The kumquat tree is a living room decoration during the new year that is popular with many people because it has many fruits symbolizing the growth and prosperity that the family wishes in the coming year.
Vietnamese families often have ancestral altars to pay respect to their ancestors. The altar is thoroughly cleaned during the new year and new offerings are placed there.
Around this time, each family cooks special holiday dishes such as banh Chung and banh day. Family members often take turns watching the fire overnight and telling each other stories about Tet of the past years. One of the most popular traditional dishes of Tet is jam (dried fruits) which is not used in meals but is a snack to treat guests to the house and is always packed in lovely boxes. on the table in the living room.
New Year’s Eve is a meaningful holiday for Vietnamese people, wherever they are, whatever they do, everyone tries to be present at the family meal before the Lunar New Year. This is a sacred moment when everyone enjoys everything they have: a cozy atmosphere, gathering with loved ones, heartfelt wishes for each other, and quiet moments to reflect on a loved one. The year has passed and they eagerness to welcome a new one.
Around the afternoon to the evening of New Year’s Eve, the last meal of the year is prepared. While the women cook, the men clean the altar, trim the plants, and prepare wine and tea. Then, traditional offerings are placed on the altar, paying respects to the ancestors when the year ends.
After the ancestor worshiping ceremony, the family gathers for the last meal of the year and enjoys special Tet programs on TV. New Year’s Eve is approaching, everyone sits together to watch the grand countdown broadcast live on TV, witnessing the vibrant vitality of the whole nation. Many people also took to the streets to watch the fireworks at midnight, welcoming the new year alongside hundreds of locals, locals, and foreigners.
Because the Vietnamese believe that the first guest to visit their family in the year will determine their luck for the whole year, the person with temperament, morality, and success will be lucky for the owner and be invited into the first house. first. According to Vietnamese tradition, if good things come to the family on the first day of Tet, the whole following year will be full of blessings.
Final thought
Top News hopes this article can help you learn more about how Asian people celebrate the Lunar New year and wishes you an amazing year filled with positive energy.