Lunar New Year 2021

Since February 12th marks the official start of the Lunar New Year, the team at Sequoia wanted to share some ways that our team members celebrate as well as some insight into your own Chinese Zodiac! 2021 is the Year of the Ox, and is believed to be a lucky year, perfect for focusing on important relationships in our lives.

Lunar New Year typically begins with the new moon that occurs between the end of January and the end of February, and it lasts about 15 days, until the full moon arrives with the Festival of Lanterns. The dates are different every year, depending on when the first new moon of the New Year takes place.

The holiday is celebrated by many Asian countries and cultures, such as China, South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam and Taiwan. Although specific celebrations for the holiday vary by region and culture, there is a specific commonality: It is a time to reunite with immediate and extended family to ring in the New Year.

Below are some quotes from our Team Members who celebrate, highlighting their favorite things about the holiday:

There are many traditions practiced during Lunar New Year, many of which are based on superstitions that have been passed down through generations over thousands of years. It is believed that the actions of a family during Lunar New Year set the stage for the year ahead, so those that celebrate are very careful to avoid certain taboos that are believed to usher in bad luck and misfortune. Below are some examples of the customs and the reasoning behind them:

• The color red: The color red symbolizes good luck, fortune, happiness, and abundance. It is often worn and used for decoration in celebrations.
• Red Envelopes, called “Hong bao”: Red envelopes are filled with money and given to children and unmarried adults with no job. Money must be given in even numbers, as odd numbers are believed to bring unhappiness.
• Traditional foods: The meal on Chinese New Year’s Eve is considered the most important dinner of the year. While the celebration lasts 15 days, meals typically include “Eight Treasures Rice”, “Tang Yuan” aka black sesame rice ball soup, and chicken, duck, or pork dishes. Meat and fish dishes must be served whole, with the head symbolizing a good beginning of the new year, and the tail representing the end of the year that just passed. Noodles represent life and longevity, and cannot be cut, as this can be considered a bad omen for shortening life.
• Fireworks: Setting off fireworks are customary and are believed to scare away evil spirits and negative energy.
• Dragon Dance: The Chinese believe that performing this dance drives away evil spirits and ushers in good luck and blessings for the community in the New Year. The dance is performed by a team of experienced dancers who manipulate a long flexible figure of a dragon using poles positioned at regular intervals along the length of the dragon.

The following are some taboos that must be considered during this time:

• No hair or clothes washing: It washes away good luck.
• No white or black clothing should be worn: These are unlucky colors associated with death.
• No sewing needle work: It depletes wealth and represents “poking holes at life.”
• No sweeping: It sweeps away wealth.
• No crying: It brings bad luck.
• No porridge: It represents poverty.
• No crab or lobster: Eating animals that move sideways or backwards are thought to cause setbacks.
• No lending or borrowing money: It leads to debt.

The Chinese zodiac, known as Sheng Xiao or Shu Xiang, consists of a 12-year cycle of animal signs based on the lunar calendar. Boasting a history of more than 2000 years, it plays an essential role in Chinese culture. The 12 Chinese zodiac animals in a cycle are not only used to represent years in China, but also believed to influence people’s personalities, career, compatibility, marriage, and fortune.

Sources:

• https://chinesenewyear.net/zodiac/
• https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/chinese-new-year