Lunar New Year Wishes

I’ve been talking a lot lately about fresh starts, new beginnings, and how much I like getting a second go at the New Year in February. This is another post in the series. Tomorrow is the Lunar New Year and the beginning of the Year of the Dragon. Celebrated in China, many Asian countries and around the world (including San Francisco, which supposedly holds one of the worlds’ largest Chinese New Year celebrations), the lunar new year falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, or the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It lasts 15 days, or until the next full moon.

Each day of the 15 day celebration focuses on different aspects, depending on the culture. Usually, the first two days are the time to visit and celebrate with family and close friends, often giving gifts of money in red envelopes (symbolizing good luck for the year ahead) and oranges or tangerines, which symbolize luck, wealth and happiness. The house is cleaned in the days leading up to the New Year to welcome in the new, but not cleaned in the first days of the year, as this might inadvertently wash or sweep away the luck and good fortune. Some cultures hold that a monster named Nian comes to scare the family on the first day of the new year, but fireworks and noise will scare him away. The third day is a day to visit graves and honor the dead, and it is considered a bad time to socialize, as evil spirits may be wandering on this day. The seventh day of the New Year is thought to be the day that the Chinese mother goddess, Nuwa, created people, and is considered a kind of universal birthday, and in some communities, birthday foods are served on this day. I really like this idea, and think it sounds like an excellent excuse for cake. The fifteenth and final day of the celebration is marked by the Lantern Festival. This is a time when lanterns are lit and carried through the community.

I know that all these holidays might not seem directly related to fabric, art, design or the other things I generally focus on, but as the child of an anthropologist, I’ve always been interested in cultures, traditions, and the myths and stories related to them. As a gardener, and someone who appreciates the lunisolar calendar, I also really like paying attention to those earthly and celestial events that affect us (and our gardens) in subtle ways. And as a resident of California, the Lunar New Year is definitely a thing here, and something I want to know about and share in. And honestly, these days I welcome any opportunity for magical thinking, a chance to intentionally stop, honor the passing of time, and create as welcome and hospitable a home for good fortune as I can. Best wishes to you in this Year of the Dragon!