One Festival, Many Faces
Lunar New Year is one of the most widely observed celebrations in the world, yet it looks and feels remarkably different depending on where you are in Asia. While the shared lunar calendar unites celebrations across borders, each country — and often each ethnic community within a country — has shaped the festival into something distinct and deeply personal.
Here is how the Lunar New Year unfolds across several Asian nations.
China: The Spring Festival (春节)
In China, the Spring Festival is the biggest event of the year. The celebration spans 15 days and includes one of the largest annual human migrations on earth, as millions travel home to reunite with family.
- Reunion dinner (年夜饭): On New Year's Eve, families gather for a lavish meal. Dishes carry symbolic meaning — fish for abundance, dumplings (shaped like gold ingots) for wealth, and rice cakes for progress.
- Red envelopes (红包): Elders give children and unmarried adults red envelopes filled with money, symbolising good luck and blessings.
- Fireworks and dragon dances: The noise is thought to ward off evil spirits. Major cities like Beijing and Shanghai stage spectacular public displays.
- Lantern Festival: The 15th and final day features glowing lanterns, riddle games, and sweet glutinous rice balls (tangyuan).
Vietnam: Tết Nguyên Đán
Vietnamese Tết is deeply infused with ancestor veneration and a profound sense of renewal. The preparations begin weeks in advance.
- Flower markets: Yellow apricot blossoms (hoa mai) in the south and peach blossoms (hoa đào) in the north are sold at bustling open-air markets and placed in homes to invite good fortune.
- Bánh chưng: This sticky rice cake, filled with mung bean and pork, is wrapped in banana leaves and represents the earth. Families often make it together over several days.
- Visiting graves: Before Tết, families clean and decorate ancestral graves — a gesture of respect and continuity.
- Lucky money: Like in China, children receive lì xì (lucky money) in red envelopes.
South Korea: Seollal (설날)
While Korea follows a slightly different set of customs, Seollal carries equal weight as a national holiday centred on family and gratitude for ancestors.
- Charye (차례): A formal ancestral rite performed at home, where food and drink are offered to ancestors at an altar.
- Sebae (세배): Younger family members perform a deep bow to elders and receive words of blessing — and often money or gifts in return.
- Tteokguk: This soup of sliced rice cakes in broth is eaten on New Year's Day. Tradition holds that eating it adds a year to one's age.
- Hanbok: Many Koreans wear traditional hanbok clothing during the celebrations.
Malaysia & Singapore: Chinese New Year
In multicultural Malaysia and Singapore, Chinese New Year is a public holiday celebrated with particular vibrancy in Chinatown districts.
- Yee Sang (鱼生): A raw fish salad tossed communally at the table — the higher you toss, the greater the fortune. This dish is unique to the region.
- Open houses: Friends and neighbours of all backgrounds are invited into Chinese homes, reflecting the multicultural spirit of both nations.
- Mandarin oranges: Gifted in pairs as a symbol of gold and prosperity.
A Shared Thread
Despite the differences in food, ritual, and name, a common spirit runs through every version of Lunar New Year: the importance of family, the letting go of the old year's burdens, and the hopeful welcome of a fresh beginning. In this shared intention, the festival transcends borders and becomes something truly universal.