How do you celebrate the beginning of a new year? In the United States, we celebrate the New Year on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, but in many Asian countries the Lunar New Year is also observed. The Lunar New Year is the most important celebration of the year in China and for Chinese people all over the world. People from Vietnam, Korea, Tibet, Singapore, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand also celebrate the Lunar New Year. It is a time for thinking about the past, honoring ancestors, and making preparations for a successful year to come.
The Lunar New Year begins on the first new moon of the first month of the lunar calendar and ends two weeks later with the full moon. The exact date of the Lunar New Year changes each year according to the lunar and solar calendars, ensuring that it can remain in January or February. The 15-day celebration begins on the evening before the start of the new lunar year.
Across Asia and the Asian diaspora, people mark the Lunar New Year with similar traditions. Cleaning the house; paying off debts; purchasing new, brightly colored clothing; and placing symbols of good luck around the home are common preparations for Lunar New Year celebrations. Preparing and sharing food is another thread that ties together Lunar New Year celebrations across the world.
How do you prepare for and celebrate the New Year?
Explore the resources below to learn more about how the Lunar New Year is celebrated around the world.
The museum celebrates cultures from across Asia all year long. Learn more about our other Cultural Celebrations.
Tiger shadow puppet from Indonesia Gourd-shaped vase decorated with red bats Plate with eight peaches and five bats Three sheep carved from jade Learn about hidden meanings in Chinese art with Docent Linda Lei Read about hidden meanings in Chinese decorative motifs Make your own Lunar New Year Red Envelope Lunar New Year Zodiac Animals: Coloring Pages Storyteller Fred Sheng tells “Why the Rat Comes First” Storyteller Miriam Mills tells “The Tet Pole” Storyteller Leta Bushyhead tells “Nian, the Beast” Year of the Tiger Storytelling with ASL Find your zodiac animal Celebrate Asian Pacific New Year with Oakland Asian Cultural Center Read “Tastes of Lunar New Year” by Cheryl Yau Chepusova and Isabel Foo Read “The Year of the Rabbit: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac” by Oliver Chin Read “Tết Together” by Alice Trinh Read “Mindy Kim and the Lunar New Year Parade” by Lyla Lee Thien-Kim Lam’s list of picture books celebrating Lunar New Year Discover how Lunar New Year is celebrated in China
Explore the Collection
Art Activities
Storytelling
Books and Resources
Cultural Celebrations are made possible by Bank of America.
Sustained support for the Asian Art Museum’s Lunar New Year Celebration is generously provided by the following endowed funds:
John S. and Sherry H. Chen Endowed Fund for Chinese Art and Programming
Arlene Schnitzer Endowed Fund for Chinese Art
