As winter continues, Sacred Heart Greenwich will decorate their hallways with red hues for the Lunar New Year. China, Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, and other East Asian countries celebrate this holiday, January 29. While each country emphasizes family reunions, the food eaten and the way people express gratitude to elders differ, according to time.com.
In China, animals in the Chinese Zodiac correspond to a particular year in a lunisolar calendar. The animals include a rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. The year 2025 is the year of the snake, according to rmg.co. The foods eaten on this holiday, like dumplings and fish, symbolize prosperity in the new year, according to history.com. Sophomore Olivia Morris described how the Upper School Chinese III Honors class prepares for the new year, and how they immerse themselves in Chinese culture through a field trip to a Chinese restaurant in New York City (NYC), New York.
“In my class, we did a presentation during the morning meeting about the [Chinese] Lunar New Year,” Olivia said. “We got to make dumplings in my class for Lunar New Year, and we are going into New York City, so we can experience Chinese culture, eat at [a] Chinese restaurant, and […] speak Chinese while we are there. This is going to be a very immersive experience for the class. Each year in Chinese class, we also learn about the zodiac signs, which is fun.”
Olivia’s Chinese class shared a presentation in the Lennie De Csepel Theatre, January 22, about the different traditions surrounding Lunar New Year. Speaking in Chinese, the class presented the story of Nian, a mythological monster, who terrorized a village. Using intelligence to find Nian’s weaknesses, the villagers used fire and the color red to ward the monster. The presentation encouraged the US community to better understand and prepare for the holiday and engage with the Chinese Lunar New Year.
In Korea, the elders give money to the children, wearing traditional garments called hanbok. Each Lunar New Year, everyone turns one year older because it is a tradition to have a Korean age, which starts at one when you are born, according to travelandleisure.com. Sophomore Grace Im described her family traditions and the significance of gathering together during this holiday, which includes playing games and eating delicious food.
“My favorite Lunar New Year’s tradition is when my family gets together and we play games like the ones of the TV series Squid Games,” Grace said. “We play board games like ‘gonggi’ and we eat a lot of good food like ‘tteokguk,’ which is the first dish that all Koreans eat on the Lunar New Year because it symbolizes growing one more year older. [I]t is the first healthy meal of the year. We also eat dumplings and cookies.”
Featured Image by Miranda Zapata-Mardini ’27
