Lunar New Year: How it’s celebrated across Asia and more you need to know

The Lunar New Year is celebrated across large swathes of Asia, like China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines. It's also celebrated in places with large Chinese diasporas, like Australia. 

Welcome to the Year of the Wood Snake. In Western cultures, calling someone "a snake" is likely not the highest of compliments. However, the Chinese believe that people born under the sign of the Wood Snake are charming, intelligent, and adaptable (if sometimes secretive and cunning). 

The snake is just one of the 12 zodiac signs in Chinese astrology. Each of these signs has unique qualities, further augmented by one of the five elements: gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. In Chinese culture, your elemental animal sign can determine your fortune, marriage compatibility, career decisions, and more. 

Now, that's a tricky question. It all depends on your zodiac sign (and even which fortune-telling master you speak to). Find an expert you trust to look into your year ahead. Don't forget to ask for your lucky colours and numbers so that you can surround yourself with these talismans for an extra boost of fortune! 

Funny enough, those born under the sign of the current zodiac year are traditionally thought to have a hard time. So, those born in the Year of the Snake may expect hardships and challenges in their careers, finances, and relationships. But not all is lost – you can still protect yourself by wearing red (some opt for red underwear or a simple red string around the wrist). It's also a year to be extra cautious, so hold off on major life changes like switching jobs. 

Lunar New Year celebrations share similar features across countries and communities in Asia. The season often calls for spring cleaning, reunion dinners, family visits, and lots and lots of feasting. If you don't mind the crowds, it can be one of the best times of the year to visit Asia. The atmosphere is electric, with dragon and lion dances, parades, bustling bazaars, and fireworks shows to immerse in. Dress in your best, as locals will be in vibrant traditional wear and their newest outfits. 

To let in the good, you have to let out the bad. Families typically get to work weeks before the Lunar New Year to remove dirt, dust, and bad luck from their homes – a way to make space for the new year's fortune. This applies to personal grooming, too, with many rushing to get haircuts and manicures before the Lunar New Year (so don't be surprised to see salons charging a premium in the lead-up to the holiday season). 

Then it's time to decorate the home – with spring festival couplets, red lanterns, mandarin or kumquat trees, and flowers like orchids, cherry blossoms, and plum blossoms to bring fortune and good luck.  

The Lunar New Year celebrations are all about family. Thousands travel during this period to attend all-important reunion dinners and family gatherings.

Traditional Lunar New Year dishes vary from country to country, but you can bet it's always a feast. In China, common dishes include whole steamed fish, dumplings, noodles, and glutinous rice cake. South Koreans commonly serve ddeokguk (rice cake soup) alongside a spread of rice, meat, seafood, and liquor. In Vietnam, they eat a unique dish called banh chung, which features sticky rice stuffed with meat or bean paste that's then wrapped in banana leaves. Singapore and Malaysia also have the novel tradition of tossing yusheng – a salad of raw fish, vegetables, spices, and seasonings which families gather to toss together as high as possible for good luck. 

In South Korea, families also conduct an elaborate ritual called "charye", where seasonal dishes are prepared and offered to ancestors in exchange for their blessings for the new year. The Vietnamese also visit the gravesites of deceased loved ones with flowers, incense, and gifts to honour them in the new year. 

Casual gambling is thought to bring good luck in the new year, so don't be surprised to see money changing hands during raucous rounds of Chinese blackjack or mahjong. In South Korea, familiar games like GoStop and Yutnori are played. 

Lunar New Year means one thing: hongbaos (red packets). In countries like China, Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam seniors and married couples give younger relatives red envelopes packed with money as a token of good luck and fortune for the new year. 

In South Korea, children perform sebae (New Year's bow) to their superiors on the first day of the new year as a gesture of gratitude. They also receive sebaedon, money packed in colourful cotton or silk pouches, in return.