WENATCHEE — The Lunar New Year, a holiday celebration in many Asian cultures, could be officially recognized by the state.
House Bill 2209, which passed the Washington State House Jan. 31, would designate the Lunar New Year as a legislatively recognized day. It’s now in the Senate.
Lawmakers hope a statewide recognition of the Lunar New Year will “spread awareness of the holiday, affirm cultural heritage, and foster a sense of belonging among Asian Americans,” according to a Seattle Times report.
The bill would encourage “governmental entities and educational and cultural organizations to celebrate the Lunar New Year,” and require “the State Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs to create programming and resources for entities to use in their celebrations,” according to the bill’s summary report.
What is the Lunar New Year?
The Lunar New Year is a 3,000-year-old tradition celebrating the new year using the lunisolar calendar for generally 15 days and also celebrates the arrival of spring, according to National Geographic’s website.
Because the holiday is based on the lunisolar calendar there is no set date. The Lunar New Year begins on the new moon nearest to the midpoint of the winter solstice and the spring equinox and the festivities end at the next full moon.
This year’s Lunar New Year runs Feb. 10-25, according to National Geographic.
Each year is associated with one of 12 Chinese zodiacs, and this year is the year of the dragon. For people born on the year of the dragon, it is their lucky year, according to the University of Sydney in Australia. People born in the year of the dragon were born in 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000 and 2012, according to the university.
The Lunar New Year is also referred to as “Chinese New Year,” but in China it is known as the “Spring Festival.”
It is one of the most important holidays, in China and Chinese communities across the world, according to National Geographic. Lunar New Year is also celebrated in different cultures across Asia and can have different traditions. The holiday is widely celebrated in Vietnam, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, and others, all of which may name it differently.
Other countries and cultures may not follow the Chinese zodiac tradition and could use different animals for their zodiacs instead, according to both National Geographic and the University of Sydney.
In China, many households may do a deep cleaning of their house before the Lunar New Year begins as bringing a dirty household into the new year is considered bad luck, according to National Geographic. Before the holiday, people may paint their house doors red and decorate their houses using red, as the color is a symbol of joy and good fortune.
During the 15-day celebration, festivities include large parties and dinners, firecrackers, parades, and traditional lion dancing, where dancers wear masks and costumes that look like lions.
Children receive money in red envelopes from elders for good luck in the new year. Many people may take time off work to spend time with family and visit the grave sites of loved ones and ancestors.
Toward the end of the 15-day celebration, the Lantern Festival ends the Lunar New Year Festival, according to National Geographic. Paper lanterns light the night sky to celebrate the first full moon of the new year.
Local connection
Lin Yang is a part-owner of Iwa Sushi and Grill at 8 N. Wenatchee Ave. in Wenatchee.
Originally from China, Yang wrote in an email that she celebrated Lunar New Year in her home country with a big feast on the eve of the holiday.
When people gift children with money in red envelopes the adults would say “gong xi fa cai,” which she said roughly translates to “I hope you get rich.”
Yang said she and her family still celebrate the Lunar New Year in the U.S.
“Since we’re a long way from family, we now have an annual celebration with our staff at Iwa,” she wrote.
