The year of the dragon started on Feb. 10, 2024. Lunar New Year welcomes the arrival of spring, marking the new year on the lunisolar calendar. It is the most important holiday in China, according to Dr. Runlei Zhai, assistant teaching professor in the World Languages and Cultures Department.
“[The traditions come] from a story about a monster called Nian who visits from village to village, so people discovered his fears of fire, the color red and loud noises,” Zhai said. “Since then, red lanterns have been hung and firecrackers and fireworks are set off.”
Ying-Ju Chen, a senior lecturer in the World Languages and Cultures Department from Taiwan, said “sweeping the grounds” is a custom common among her family and others who celebrate the Lunar New Year, in which households are cleaned the week before the New Year in hopes of dispersing negative energy.
“We are not supposed to clean our houses during the New Year celebration time because it is like sweeping out all the good luck that is coming in from the new year,” Chen said.
On the last day of the celebration, the whole event peaks with the Lantern Festival in some regions. Houses are lit up with colorful lanterns and traditional foods are served. These include sticky rice balls that stand for family unity and fa gao, a cupcake-like pastry split on the top, which is also called prosperity cake.
Audrey Sukendro, a second-year studying communication, said she goes home during the Lunar New Year to spend time cooking with her family. If they aren’t able to, they will call all their relatives and wish them well in the new year.
Chen said children and young adults often receive red envelopes with money inside to wish them good luck. Red envelopes are normally exchanged in person, but if meeting in person isn’t possible, an app commonly used in China called WeChat allows users to send digital red envelopes to their loved ones.
“My parents used to hide the red envelopes around the house,” said Tina Xing, a fourth-year studying business administration. “It was like Easter or something. It was really fun.”
NC State offers a Lunar New Year event in Talley Ballroom for students to enjoy, and decorates some of the dining halls with red paper cutouts, lanterns and other ornaments. The Chinese Undergraduate Students Association hosts its Lunar New Year Celebration, inviting students and families to spend time together.
Many East Asian cultures make dumplings from scratch with their families during the celebration time. Parents might place a few nuts in some of the dumplings, and those that end up with the dumplings are said to have extra good luck.
Sukendro said dumpling making is an important time for connection with her family.
“It’s not just about folding dumplings,” Sukendro said, “it’s about family time. … It’s intimate.”
From the red envelopes to simply eating with family, Sukendro said Lunar New Year is all about family, friends and good fortune for each other.
