Chinese New Year celebrates the first day of the Chinese lunar calendar and is a two-day national holiday in Singapore. Around the world, Chinese communities mark the start of the 15-day lunar new year celebration by cleaning and decorating homes, buying new clothes, visiting friends, and having “reunion meals” with family. This Chinese New Year will usher in the Year of the Rat in the Chinese zodiac.

This holiday, which is also called “Spring Festival,” has been celebrated for thousands of years and many of its traditions have ancient roots. One legend tells of the mythical beast Nian, who preyed on villagers on New Year’s Eve. When the villagers discovered Nian's fears of the color red and loud sounds, they used red lanterns, wore red clothes, and set off fireworks to scare him away. Another legend tells of a child being kept safe from the demon Sui by magical coins in a red envelope. Giving children red envelopes containing brand-new coins or bills is another tradition. Other traditions include cleaning the house and buying new items, displaying auspicious words and sayings written on red paper, and decorating homes with symbols of good fortune such as plum blossoms, narcissus flowers, and oranges.

We asked three members of our community to share how they plan on celebrating their Chinese New Year holiday:

The Chinese Lunar New Year celebration is coming, and I am filled with anticipation for this auspicious date. Traditionally, all Chinese families will celebrate based on cultural practices, which vary from family to family. I, without a doubt, will follow a list of practices that was passed down from my parents and seniors—spring cleaning, purchasing new clothes before the eve, and decorating our home with some auspicious Chinese New Year decorative displays. On the eve, family members will come together to have a scrumptious meal. It is traditionally good to have food in abundance as it symbolizes great harvest gathering and more than adequate harvested crops. Lastly, the most cherished practice for me and my spouse is the giving of red packets that contain monetary notes. It is handed out to the young children and single adults on the first day of Chinese New Year to bless them with happiness and blessings throughout the year. I wish everyone a very prosperous and happy Chinese New Year!

—Esther Choo, secretary to high school deputy principal

No matter how far we are from our hometown, Chinese New Year is the time for a family reunion. This year, our parents and relatives will join us in Singapore. Chinese New Year to us is all about spending time with family. Dinner on the eve is the biggest event, especially because we cook traditional dishes together. One of those dishes is dumplings, which is slightly different from the usual dumplings because we will put a coin in a few dumplings. When you eat a dumpling with a coin in it, that signifies that you will have a lucky new year. This also means we all eat as much as possible to find a coin.

We wish all of our family and friends a wonderful Year of the Rat! Gong Xi Fa Cai! Kung Hei Fat Choi! All the very best. 

—Greta Zhao, SAS parent

For Chinese New Year, we enjoy seeing the lights and festivities along the Singapore River and Chinatown. I will have a small reunion dinner with my husband's family in Singapore. We love having steamboat at home. It is a fun way to cook and eat together. On one other day, we visit with a large group of friends who have known each other for about 20 years. We love seeing the group grow with joy, age, and sometimes partners and babies. We are sure to bring lots of ang pao for the kids. Singapore has many ethnic groups. I feel fortunate to celebrate each one in a different way. And to eat all the food for each holiday!

It's a little known fact that Chinese New Year usually happens within a couple of weeks of Mardi Gras. Being from New Orleans, I miss the festivities and rhythms of that time of year. The drums of the lion dance makes me happy and reminds me of the joy and celebration.

—Erin Caskey, elementary art teacher