5 tips for Celebrating Lunar New Year – on-site and abroad
You’ve moved abroad for study or work and you try to grip with the host culture. If you are in Asia, this is what you need to know to last the Lunar New Year celebrations: Colourful decorations, dragon dances, festive atmosphere and absolute excitement, those are the ingredients for the Lunar celebrations on the Asian continent. According to the lunar calendar, late January to early February is the beginning of a new year. And what deserves a bigger celebration than this occasion?
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Tip 1: Clean out your closet… and bring in some red!
What do people do to celebrate the spring festival? Thorough home cleanings are an absolute must, as no one wants to start a brand new year with murky leftovers – as these are considered bad luck from the past. And red is considered the real deal and believed to bring luck hence people spice up their houses with extra redness, from red wallpaper to red lanterns.
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Tip 2: Forget a Christmas Tree, get a Tet Tree
Tet tree, a Vietnamese version of the Christmas tree, is also dressed up with red bits and bobs which symbolise wishes for a prosperous new year.
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Tip 3: Money makes the world go round!
New Year celebrations aren’t complete without huge family reunions and banquets. Just like any Christmas dinner, the Lunar New Year is a get-together occasion for all family members, accompanied by food, a lot of food! Kids are given lucky money, wrapped in red envelopes – from their parents and other family members to wish them health, peace, and happiness.
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Tip 4: Parades & Fireworks
If you are not the indoors type, here is your opportunity: there are numerous high-energy events, such as fireworks, parades and lion dances. People with traditional costumes perform dances and martial art shows at every corner of the streets where various yummy vendor foods can be found.
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Tip 5: Want to make your Asian roommate happy?
How do Chinese, Vietnamese, South Korean, Singaporean and other Asians celebrate Lunar New Year while they are abroad and away from family? Either they hook up with some nationals to create a similar new year atmosphere abroad, or do some traditional cooking by themselves. Food is the best medicine against homesickness, particularly if you are Asian!
Rita Nguyen,
CareerProfessor.works team
(The tips are coming from the cultural scenarios in the CareerProfessor.works app. In case you are keen to find out what you can expect in this game have a look here: http://bit.ly/2kAxXtL)
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