Research Guides: Lunar New Year: Home

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Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year marks the start of a new lunar calendar. People throughout the world gather and celebrate the new year with families, friends, and communities. The countries that celebrate Lunar New Year are China, Korea, Mongol, Taiwan, Vietnam and more throughout East Asia and Southeast Asia. Each country has a different way of celebrating the Lunar New Year. Also, there are countries that follows their own culturally different calendar in which the start date of the Lunar New Year can be different from other countries.

Resources in the Spotlight

China (Chunjie)

Chinese New Year 2021
Provides history of ancient Chinese Lunar Calendar and 12 animal cycles representing new year. Also, focuses on the traditions, foods, and festival during the Lunar New Year.
Chinese New Year traditions
Provides information on how people celebrate New Year’s Eve, how festivals are celebrated throughout 15 day of Lunar New Year break and what they eat. Also, the symbolic meaning of red envelops and dragons.
The Lunar New Year: rituals and legends
Provides history of Lunar New Year and Chinese calendar. It goes in-depth on how and what they prepare before New Year. Also, provides what they do to celebrate the new year festivities and Lantern Festival.

Korea (Seollal)

Seollal in Korea: a glimpse of local customs
Learn about Seollal and what Koreans prepare the day before the start of the new lunar year. Read in depth about long-standing Korean Lunar New Year traditions such as greetings, ancestral rites, gift giving, foods, and games.
Seollal, Korean Lunar New Year
Provides the very centerpiece information of how Koreans celebrate Lunar New Year, which consist of ancestral rituals, foods, gifts, and fun activities.
What is Korean New Year?
Provides history of lunar calendar and how is it used now. Also, it goes in-depth on Lunar New Year traditions, foods, and games.

Mongol (Tsagaan Sar)

Tsagaan Sar: Lunar New Year festival
Provides in-depth history and traditions of Lunar New Year and White Moon festival. Also, talks about what Mongolians do before the first day of new year, what they eat, and what kind rituals they do.
What to do in Mongolia in February? Lunar New Years! Mongolian Tsagaan Sar festivities! a.k.a. Mongolian new years
Provides history and traditions of Tsagaan Sar. Great tips on what to prepare/bring and what to do when visiting Mongolian homes during the Lunar New Year.

Taiwan (Chunjie)

Chinese New Year
Provides history and traditions on how Taiwanese celebrate Lunar New Year. It does have some similarities from Chinese New Year, but it provides their own traditions and practices during the New Year.

Vietnam (Tet)

Lunar New Year in Vietnam
Shares what Lunar New Year means in Vietnam, what they eat, why they buy flowers, and what they do for good luck. Also, shares certain traditions that are associated with new year folk tale.
Tet, a celebration of rebirth
Discusses about the meaning and importance of Tet. Also, provides history, traditional celebrations, new traditions, and difference between Chinese and Vietnam animal cycle of Lunar New Year.
Tet Fest: Vietnamese New Year in the New Orleans Vietnamese Community
Provides in-depth history and traditions of Tet. Also, shares the importance of Tet to Vietnamese and Vietnamese-Americans.

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