How do you celebrate Lunar New Year? We asked, you answered. And while we now know a lot of you are looking forward to that red (红包 hóngbāo, of course), let’s also talk about that bread.
Lunar New Year is full of rich and ancient traditions. Red envelopes, lion dancing, a little bit of gambling (for some…), and our personal favorite (besides the fashion) — food!
From folding dumplings with friends to gathering around the table for hot pot, it sounds like our DAWANG gang is looking forward to eating year cakes, toss salad, tong yoon, and whole fish. In Chinese culture there is so much symbolism and intention for what we do AND what we eat. Many of our traditional dishes have stories and beliefs about what happens when we eat them. (Let’s all agree that Chinese desserts are the BOMB! ) A traditional Chinese dessert that some will know as tong yoon (汤圆 tāngyuán) is made from sweet sticky rice shaped into balls to symbolize togetherness and reunion also symbolizing success and abundance. You can basically plan how this year will turn out for you through your stomach.
It’s good to know that while almost all of you know how to receive red envelopes properly from your elders (which is exactly 98% of you, coincidentally was also the highest scoring question out of our survey… wonder why)
We’re all in the same boat when it comes to learning our culture and history.
If you’re planning out your pre-LNY activities, make sure you visit your ancestors’ graves and clean your house the night before to keep with tradition. Feeling superstitious? Decorate in red and light some fireworks to scare away evil.
It’s all about new year, old traditions. A crowd favorite? Lion dances! We’re right there with you. Colorful costumes and dancing that summons good fortune and scares away evil spirits? We’re in.
Most of all, Lunar New Year is a great time to spend with family, friends and loved ones. We’re so happy to be sharing this space with our DAWANG gang, and we’re pumped to welcome in the new year with you all.
Wishing everyone a Happy Chinese new year from our DAWANG gang to yours!
May this new year unfold new and better things for all of us ❤️
新年快乐! (xīn nián kuài lè)