With Lunar New Year on a Wednesday this year, a lot of students weren’t be able to go home to celebrate with their family.
This was my very first Lunar New Year away from home. It’s the largest celebration in my household, and sometimes, it even spans over the course of a week.
As college students, especially first-year students that don’t have cars, many of us weren’t able to spend time with our family for this holiday. Because of that, I have decided to talk about, and ask a few friends, how they typically spend their Lunar New Year and their experience being away from home this year!
experience #1
My house is decked out in red and gold decorations and whe I step inside, it feels like home.
My family goes big for Lunar New Year. It’s our absolute favorite holiday of the year. Our whole family, even our extended family, gathers at my cousin’s house.
While there, we all eat various kinds of Chinese, Vietnamese, and Western food. Sometimes, we’d play games like Hoo Hey How (Chinese version of Bầu cua cá cọp), blackjack, and other board/card games. I always loved going to my cousin’s house because it’s one of the few times a year I get to see all my little nieces!
Whenever I greeted my older family members, I would say a very specific phrase in Cantonese: Gung Hay Fat Choy (translation: wishing you prosperity), and they’d give me red envelopes/lucky money! I remember that whenever I forgot, they wouldn’t give it to me until I remembered how to say it.
On the other days of the week that we celebrated Lunar New Year, my parents would take me to the temple, and sometimes I’d wear my qipao or my áo dài. At the temple, they’d have karaoke downstairs while they served food upstairs.
It was really difficult to be away from my family during this special holiday. This year, when my family went over to my cousin’s house, my sister made sure to FaceTime me so that I could say Hi to everyone. It didn’t feel the same, but it was nice to know that everybody still remembered me and wanted to check in!
Hopefully by next year, I’ll be able to drive up and celebrate with my family again!
~ Stephanie Chu, Chinese-Vietnamese American, 1st Year Student at UVA
Experience #2
Every Lunar New Year, my family goes to my uncle’s house, the eldest of the family. This is one of my favorite times of the year, as I get to see my extended family and family friends.
It’s a big party, full of lots of food (and drinks…) — a mix of both Vietnamese and Western food. My uncle has this tradition where he gives each family a bánh tét. What we do is we cut it up into slices, and then fry it! It’s so yummy.
After we eat, our family plays a variety of games together, ranging from bầu cua cá cọp to card games and bingo. Everybody gives the children lucky money – the aunts, uncles, and even my parents – and then we use that money to play games with. Kind of like a more wholesome form of betting…
The celebration with family is just full of fun vibes and energy! Everybody shows up in their traditional dresses/clothing, such as the áo dài. Together, we sing a traditional Vietnamese Tết song together and a whole bunch of karaoke!
Now that I’m away this year, I’ve been feeling extremely bad FOMO. I miss my home and my family, and it’s so weird that I can’t be there for them. It’s just so strange! It’s my first time away from my family during such a big holiday. Not being able to experience that kind of tradition with them is hard and so different.
~ Oanh Dinh, Vietnamese-American, 1st Year Student at UVA
Experience #3
During Lunar New Year, I usually eat hot pot with my family. We always have little side dishes along with it. When we celebrate, my whole extended family comes together and we have a big feast. It’s one of my favorite things: being with my family and spending time with them.
And of course, the red envelopes that are full of money!!
Now that I’m at UVA, some things that I remember about Lunar New Year is that we have a lot of superstitions. We shouldn’t wash our hair that day because it’ll wash away the good luck. And on the day before, we HAVE to clean up everything, in order to have a good, clean slate for the New Year.
This was my first time being away from home during Lunar New Year, and I miss it so much. I know that this year, I’m going to have to call them and wish them a Happy Lunar New Year.
~ Jenny Zhang, Chinese-American, 1st Year Student at UVA
Lunar New Year is an incredibly special holiday to many within the Asian community. However, it’s important to know that it is not celebrated by all Asians and the holiday is most prominent within the Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean communities.
Now, to sign off, I’d like to introduce to you the ways to say (pronounce) “Happy Lunar New Year” in different languages.
Mandarin Chinese: xīn nián kuài lè
Cantonese Chinese: san nin faai lok
Vietnamese: Chúc mừng Năm Mới
Korean: saehae bok mani badeuseyo
No matter where you are, or how you’re celebrating, I hope this Lunar New Year brings you joy, luck, and good health. Wishing everyone a prosperous and happy new year!