With celebrations for the Lunar New Year well under way, many
Asian cultures are practicing their traditions to usher in good
luck for the upcoming year.
Lunar New Year is traditionally a celebration that is meant to
be spent with family. But since many students are not able to go
home for the holiday, various cultural groups on campus have been
hosting events for the new year.
“Because so many people are away from home, it makes
celebrating the new year with peers feel extra special. Some of the
formalities when with the families are replaced by the company of
friends,” said Armhawan Darsono, president of the Chinese
Students Association.
One of the events was the Chinese New Year Hotpot organized by
the Chinese Students Association and the Dashew International
Center.
Since food traditions are critically important and symbolic in
celebrating the new year, they have been made an important part of
celebrations at UCLA as well.
For Chinese New Year, a large dinner is prepared for the family.
Traditionally, sweet dumplings are a part of the meal.
The round shape of the dumplings symbolizes the family being
together. Sweet rice cakes and fish are also included in the new
year’s meal, said Puiki Hong, a first-year pre-business
economics student. At the end of the meal, there is supposed to be
food left over so that there will be leftovers for the next year,
said Remington Ong, a third-year electrical engineering
student.
Ong said that traditionally a rice ball is taken to a statue of
the god of fortune ““ usually found in every home ““ and
is placed on its mouth so that it will bless the family for the
year.
Although there are several different cultures with varying
customs, all are celebrating for the same reason ““ to welcome
and wish for a lucky new year.
In Chinese culture, red is a recurring color that, over the
years, has come to symbolize good luck.
According to the myth, a dragon would come and attack the
Chinese people. In order for a person not to be eaten by the
dragon, the Chinese would paint their doorposts and wear red to
scare the dragon away, Hong said.
Red envelopes with money inside are also distributed from
married couples to children. The children are then supposed to put
the envelope under their pillow while they sleep so that it will
not all be spent at one time, Hong said.
Another tradition associated with the Chinese New Year is that
the floors are not to be swept, trash is not to be thrown away and
showers are not to be taken for the first couple days of the new
year because any good luck that might be with the person could be
swept, thrown or washed away.
“Chinese New Year is a really big event,” Ong said.
“We take what we know and try to pass it on.”
Alongside other ethnicities, Koreans celebrate the Lunar New
Year, called Goo Jung, as well.
The typical new year greeting that people use translates to
“may you receive a lot of blessings this year,” said
Jane Kim, President of Hanoolim, a Korean cultural awareness
group.
To celebrate Goo Jung, a rice cake soup called “Dduk
Gook” is eaten on new years, Kim said.
Traditional Korean clothes, called Han Bok, are worn and respect
is paid to elders by bowing to them. In return, “the elders
give a message of good luck for the upcoming year and traditionally
give a bit of allowance,” Kim said.
“It is difficult for many students to celebrate the Lunar
New Year in the traditional Korean way, especially since we are
away from home. Celebrating it at school definitely takes less
focus off of family. … Celebrating with friends becomes the next
best option, by eating out or by greeting each other with new year
blessings,” Kim said.
Tet, the Vietnamese New Year, is “the biggest, funnest
holiday of the year,” according to Karena Bui, internal vice
president of the Vietnamese Student Union. “Almost everyone
celebrates it,” said Bui.
On New Year’s Eve, it is tradition for some to go to a
Buddhist temple around midnight to pray for good things. Service is
then followed by fireworks and lion dancing, Bui said.
To celebrate Tet, money is given out in red envelopes. The money
is supposed to be kept indefinitely and never be spent. However, it
has become common to take the “lucky money” and gamble
with it in games such as poker or some more traditional dice games,
Bui said.
Other customs include spending time with family and eating
traditional foods such as banh tet, dry candied fruits and
watermelon seeds, which symbolize good luck.