From the delicate clinks of champagne glasses to luminous fireworks painting the night skies, celebrating the arrival of a new year is common for millions around the world. Different cultures have their own unique ways of welcoming the new year, ranging from throwing unused plates for good luck in Denmark to drinking their wishes out of a glass in Russia. There are a multitude of ways to celebrate this exciting new beginning, and students have their unique traditions to greet the upcoming year.
Though the celebration of New Year’s varies among families, the numerous ways in which others celebrate this holiday often remain unfamiliar to many. It is common for many within the U.S. to celebrate New Year’s by watching the Ball Drop, but for many cultures, New Year’s experiences can be quite different.
Junior Deven Dai shares the holiday traditions his family celebrates, stating, “My family celebrates New Year’s by eating a large dinner that consists of lobster, dumplings, and other traditional Chinese foods.”
Dai and his family observe a variety of traditions during their celebration. The festivities play a role in uniting the family, bringing everyone together around the dinner table as one.
“My favorite New Year’s memory is eating with my family. My parents invite family friends to come over and celebrate the New Year with one another,” Dai reveals.
Apart from family gatherings, there are additional traditions Dai partakes in during this holiday. He divulges, “One tradition is red pockets. My family gives me red pockets filled with money every year. We also decorate the house in red.”
In Chinese culture, red pockets are given out to children, family, and friends to represent good luck. The red color is believed to bring energy, happiness, and wealth in many Asian cultures; resulting in various decorations and traditions to incorporate this color into their design.
In contrast to Dai’s traditions, sophomore Thao Pham, an individual of Vietnamese heritage, reveals how her family prepares for the New Year.
“We always clean up the house and make it extra clean for the New Year’s. We also honor our ancestors by placing yellow mai on a table along with plates of food for them to enjoy,” she states.
In Vietnam, the yellow mai is a plant of great importance as it blooms during the Lunar New Year. The flower is thought to bring happiness, health, and prosperity; it is also believed to ward off evil spirits.
Before the flowers, an array of food will be placed for the ancestors to indulge in. Offerings include bánh chưng, a square-shaped rice cake, giò chả, a type of Vietnamese sausage, and much more.
Aside from her culture’s cuisine, Pham shares that she partakes in a celebration held by a Vietnamese community in Bridgeport, where they often gather for holidays and special events.
“At the celebration, we have a lion dance performance where they perform different dances and traditional stunts. They always interact with the crowd and the kids tend to hand them money as it is a symbol of luck for the New Year.” Pham discloses.
Differing from Pham’s practices, junior Gaby Gallardo, a student of Hispanic descent, shares her traditions for the New Year.
“We throw lentils around the house for wealth. It is believed that those who practice this ritual will gain fortune,” she reveals.
Lentils, a type of round seed, are associated with coins and are recognized for their ability to symbolize economic prosperity. Gallardo continues to explain that in Hispanic culture, people tend to eat or throw lentils around on New Year’s Eve.
“I remember every New Year, me and my sister would prank each other by dumping them on one another,” says Gallardo, describing a cherished New Year’s memory.
Gallardo finishes with gaining luck for the coming year, a common theme despite the wide array of traditions that exist during New Year’s.
“We also eat twelve grapes for the New Year. The twelve grapes represent each month of the year, and we eat them when the clock hits midnight. It is known to bring good luck,” She states.
New Year’s is both a time to reflect on the past year and a time to look forward to the one ahead, which despite the celebratory nature of the holiday, often comes with some mixed feelings.
“Even though starting a new year can be scary, I still look forward to every single New Year because of the fond memories I’ve created from past ones.” Gallardo expresses.
