Life At Ayoconnect: How We Celebrate Lunar New Year
The Lunar New Year is firmly rooted in history as it is believed to be significant in determining good fortune for the coming year. The tradition in celebrating this festivity differs among many regions and ethnicities across the globe, including in Indonesia. In this post, we asked our teammates to share their thoughts on the meaning of this celebration and what are their most-awaited traditions to do each year.
Lunar New Year holds value about togetherness and gratitude with hope for a prosperous year ahead. There are a lot of things leading to this celebration, but I’m most excited about the food. My mom always cooks 7–8 types of dinner for New Year’s eve since these numbers are considered lucky in Chinese tradition. A fish-based among other dishes is also a must-have because, in Chinese words, fish (鱼) and abundance (余) sounds the same. After diner, we usually leave a small portion of the dinner for tomorrow as a symbol that we carry over the prosperity from this year to the new year.
I remember feeling so excited from receiving my first ang pao (the red envelope) along with some cookies when I was six years old. Since then, I always look forward to carrying on this tradition. The ang pao usually contains what we called “lucky money”. But a gesture of giving just the pack is also appreciated because the red color of the envelope is the one that symbolizes good luck and is supposed to ward off evil spirits. A family gathering is also something I fond of. Despite having it virtually this year, I’m comforted to know everyone is safe and healthy.
I associate this festive celebration with a lengthy vacation to rest well and regain power for the new year. Since it also sets the tone for the rest of the year, I usually wear red or other brightly-colored clothes when going out to have dinner or lunch to match the festive and upbeat mood. Even though it’s a cultural and beliefs related celebration, I really appreciate and welcome warm new year greetings in Mandarin or other Chinese dialects from my colleagues.
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