The Lunar New Year spirit: What cultures, traditions are still in practice?

Lunar New Year, simply known as Chinese New Year, has become a colorful yearly celebration for  Chinese-influenced communities especially in the Philippines.

It is the most significant festival in Chinese culture, marking the arrival of spring in the Chinese lunar calendar. Unlike the Gregorian New Year celebrated annually on January 1st, the date of the Lunar New Year differs each year as it follows the traditional Chinese calendar — which blends the solar, lunar, and other seasonal cycles. Traditionally, this celebration is a time to honor deities and ancestors. Over time, it has evolved into a season for feasting and visiting family members.

The Lunar New Year is much deeper than we know. It is not a single-day celebration but can last up to 16 days. It requires extensive preparation to renew life, rituals, gatherings, and traditions.

For 2025, the Chinese New Year falls on January 29. Preceding days are spent on the preparations — beginning as early as a week before the new year’s day.

One tradition is to declutter and deep clean homes and workspaces. Cleaning before the festival signifies sweeping out bad luck or any negative energy from the previous year. It also symbolizes welcoming the new year with a harmonious environment and preparing one’s living space for receiving good luck. Decluttering also helps the energy or Qi flow smoothly.

On a related note, it is also customary to throw away broken things. This is to give space for the new stuff for the upcoming year, denoting a more prosperous life. Similarly, spending generously to buy a new set of clothes — contrary to the perception of Chinese people being thrifty — is said to bring good luck and prosperity. It is believed to be inauspicious to continue using broken things like chipped glass, plates, or even old shoes. People believed the god of wealth would bypass their door if they did not throw these away. 

Another tradition is to pay off debts. It is believed that unsettled obligations bring bad luck as the person is “not closing the chapter” of the past year. Settling these debts signifies that one is starting the new year with a clean slate — a way to invite good fortune.

Finally, putting up new decorations is customary. Some people put decorations up before the festival, but most put them on New Year’s Eve. It is believed that putting up decorations keeps evil away, with red being the primary color of the festival. Hence, red lanterns, couplets, and various decorations hang on the streets and are pasted on the walls. Red is an auspicious color for the New Year which symbolizes prosperity and energy that wards off evil spirits and negativity. 

The wealth of traditions seen prior to Chinese New Year is only the beginning. There are more customs and activities that are conducted throughout the celebrations.

To kick off festivities, families and communities light up firecrackers and fireworks — a tradition that is also present during Gregorian New Year festivities. Lit at midnight, these fireworks are meant to scare evil spirits away and to celebrate the coming of the New Year. Families light up firecrackers as soon as they open the door or before they go out, so that good luck will enter their homes. Additionally, the red paper left by the firecrackers isn't swept on that day because it is believed that you are sweeping away wealth.

Families from different generations gather and dine together to have a “reunion dinner” at exactly midnight, and all family members are expected to show up. Various dishes are prepared during the dinner, including fish for prosperity, dumplings and spring rolls for wealth, tangyuan (sweet rice balls) for family togetherness, and noodles for happiness and longevity of life.

Another widespread custom is exchanging red envelopes known as “hongbao” or “angpao” which represents well-wishes to the receiver. These envelopes contain crisp and clean money that is usually given to relatives, children, friends, and colleagues — among other individuals. The amount of money must not include the number four because the pronunciation of the Chinese word for four (sì, 四) is similar in tone to the word for death (sǐ, 死). This practice has also been adopted as a tradition during the Gregorian New Year. On the other hand, the amount of money that has the number eight on it will bring good luck and prosperity due to the Chinese word for eight (bā, 八) sounding similar to the word for wealth (fā cái, 发财).

Lastly, an iconic sight to look forward during the Chinese New Year is the lion and dragon dances. The dragon is an auspicious figure in China — that stands for rain and good harvest — thus, the dragon dance is performed to scare away evil spirits and bring good luck. 

The dragon’s movement is also a reflection of the great power and dignity of the mythological animal. It is also believed that someone who was touched by the dragon is considered lucky. On the other hand, the lion is a protective figure, symbolizing power, wisdom, and superiority. The movement of the lion is based on fundamental movements from Chinese martial arts such as Wushu and Kung Fu. Hence, during this festivity, the lion is used to chase away demons and evil spirits. Watching these dances is a way to start the new year free from negative energy.

In the Philippines, the Lunar New Year shows how traditions can evolve and enrich a multicultural society, bringing people closer together year after year. It is an important reminder to be welcoming of a new chapter; it’s more than just a cultural event — it’s a celebration of tradition. 

As the Filipino-Chinese community continues to thrive and expand, the Lunar New Year becomes not just an opportunity for personal and familial reflection but also a celebration of shared cultural values that resonate deeply with many Filipinos. From the preparations to the feasts, the lighting of firecrackers, and the exchange of red envelopes — the customs invite a sense of positivity and hope for the year ahead.

By weaving these practices into Filipino culture, we celebrate the richness of our diversity while staying rooted in tradition. This celebration is also a chance to embrace growth and strengthen connections. 

Ultimately, the Lunar New Year embodies the universal human desire for renewal and better opportunities. It’s a time to leave behind the challenges of the past and face the future with determination.