Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Enter the Year of the Dragon: A 2024 guide to Lunar New Year
As many as two billion people celebrate Lunar New Year mainly in East
and Southeast Asia. Many of those who observe the Lunar New Year prepare for and
enjoy the holiday for over two weeks. What do they do? Here are the highlights.
Preparation: Festive cakes and puddings are to be made on the 24th
day of the last lunar month. Red banners bearing auspicious phrases and idioms
must be hung at the front door to keep Nian, an underwater devil, and invite
good fortune. Also, the home must be cleaned entirely on the 28th
day of the last lunar month to get rid of any bad luck.
Eve: Have a big feast, including steamed fish, dumplings, longevity noodles,
and rice cakes with the family.
New Year’s Day: Meet immediate family, relatives, and friends. Give out
New Year’s gift money to children and juniors in a red envelope (or via a payment
app nowadays). Visit a temple on the third day to consult the stars about the
luck of the year based on the zodiac sign. Then you celebrate the Lantern
Festival on the 15th, the final day of the New Year, which marks the
departure of winter and the beginning of the spring.
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