The Year of the Tiger has arrived. Across the nation, many Asian families are hanging up decorations such as paper firecrackers, gifting red envelopes and fruit, and feasting on fish, sticky rice, noodles, and more delicious foods to welcome a year filled with prosperity and fortune.
The Lunar New Year is one of the most significant celebrations in the countries which celebrate it. The festival goes by numerous names across Asia: in China, it is also known as 春节, or Spring Festival; in Korea, it is 설날, or Seollal; in Vietnam, it is Tết Nguyên Đán, or Tết for short. It is also celebrated in Laos, Cambodia, Singapore, Tibet, and Mongolia. In the United States, many people with Asian ancestry have preserved these traditions in ways that reflect the variety of ways that the Lunar New Year is celebrated across the continent.
For many Asian Americans, the past year has been particularly difficult, as the pandemic, economic struggles, and rising anti-Asian hate challenged those communities. Celebrations of the Year of the Ox in 2021 were greatly reduced; public traditions such as the San Francisco New Year Parade were canceled or moved online, and many families could not travel due to the virus.
However, the return of in-person Lunar New Year celebrations in 2022, though muted by the pandemic, is a beacon of hope for many Asian American families. AsAmNews examined the many celebrations happening across the country to welcome the Year of the Tiger. Across the nation, community organizations are organizing parades, lion dance routes, markets featuring local small businesses, and more. Often held outdoors and requiring masks and COVID vaccinations, the celebrations allow people to safely celebrate one of Asia’s most culturally significant holidays.
California
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California is home to one of the nation’s biggest Asian American populations in the nation. The state, Pacific San Diego reports, officially recognized Lunar New Year in 2019, boasts a number of New Year’s celebrations that have roared back in 2022.
San Francisco is renowned for its Lunar New Year parade, the largest outside of Asia. In pre-COVID times, the parade attracts over three million spectators and television viewers to see dance troupes, firecrackers, and an almost 300-foot long golden dragon traverse the streets. In 2021, however, festivities were moved online. This year, as AsAmNews previously reported, celebrations have mostly returned to the city. Though the Lunar New Year street fair was cancelled by the Chinatown Neighborhood Association, the parade will make its “roaring return” on February 19th, accompanied by a Community Street Fair and Flower Market in February.
In San Jose, where the Vietnamese population makes up over 10% of city demographics, the Mercury News reported numerous community members gathered to celebrate Tết outdoors at Kelley Park on January 29th and 30th. The festivities were themed around culture and human rights in the southern, northern, and central regions of Vietnam. Attendees were treated to lion dances from nonprofit dance group Rising Phoenix, live music, martial arts, and a fashion contest featuring áo dài, traditional Vietnamese attire.
“We try to get people to remember Vietnam and to teach the kids about Vietnamese culture,” attendee Angelic Nguyen told Mercury News. “People come from Oakland, San Francisco, Sacramento. They work hard all year. But today they take time off and get together and visit with their families.”
Similar festivities were held in cities like San Diego, where the Little Saigon Foundation held an outdoor celebration at the Officer Jeremy Henwood Memorial Park between January 28th-30th. As reported by Pacific San Diego, organizers said the event was necessarily “smaller and cozier” than previous celebrations due to COVID-19. As a result, however, admission is free this year, allowing visitors to view a lion, dragon, and firecracker show, sample food from local vendors, and watch performances.
New York
New York features some of the country’s biggest Chinatown communities in Manhattan, Flushing, and Sunset Park. Though hit hard by the pandemic, NPR reports that these areas have slowly been rebuilding. Community organizers have been busy planning engaging celebrations that will continue to bring traffic and business back to the area.
On Instagram, community organizer Better Chinatown announced that it will hold a Lunar New Year Firecracker Ceremony at 11am EST on February 1 at the Sara D. Roosevelt Park in Manhattan Chinatown. According to its website, the organization has also planned the 24th Annual Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade and Festival on Sunday, February 20th. The parade will wind through Manhattan Chinatown, and will be accompanied by a festival featuring merchant booths in Kimlau Square from 12-4 PM EST.
Meanwhile, Welcome to Chinatown, which describes itself as “a grassroots project supporting NYC Chinatown businesses” on Instagram, has arranged lion dancers to tour across many small Chinatown businesses. According to their Instagram post, on February 5th, the lions will visit Dreamers Coffee House, Golden Diner, and renowned Malaysian café Kopitiam. Later, on February 11th, the Lions will arrive at Jing Fong, a dim sum restaurant that has weathered closure due to development in the area, Pasteur Grill & Noodles, and Uncle Lou. In doing so, the organization hopes that more people will be encouraged to visit these small but essential community businesses.
The organization has also published Lunar New Year Shopping Guides for gifts such as plants, décor, porcelain, and books, and food and drink, such as bakeries, herbs, and alcohol. A full guide is available on their website.
According to Broadway World, the Korean Community Development Center also organized a Seollal celebration on January 29th, featuring traditional activities such as jegichagi, a game in which players kick to keep an object in the air, foods such as ppopgi candy, Korean calligraphy, and makeup.
Chicago
Chicago’s Lunar New Year celebration lasts from January 30th to February 13th. During the two weeks, many communities across the city have planned festivities that, like many other cities, include parades, celebrations, shopping, and more.
According to Uptown, the Argyle Lunar New Year celebration is scheduled for Saturday, February 5th. Activities include a RSVP-required Storytime and Crafts event at the Bezazian Library, an art walk allowing visitors to see the murals painted on Argyle street, and eco-friendly cherry blossom artwork crafts at 4967 North Sheridan Road. Meanwhile, the Aon Grand Ballroom on Navy Pier will host numerous performing groups, including the Chicago Chinese Cultural Center Lion Dancers, Korean Performing Arts Institute of Chicago, and Yang Wei, Pipa Player.
The Chicago Chinatown Community Foundation Lunar New Year Parade has been scheduled for Sunday, February 13th. The parade, which will last for two hours, will feature dragon and lion dancing, floats, and other marching groups.
Finally, in celebration of the holiday, Asian Pop Up Cinema will offer free film screenings online and in person. From February 1st to 15th, free films will be available for U.S. and Canadian viewers online to watch, focusing on the history and culture of China. Three of these films are enjoying their North American premiers, and all films are shown with English subtitles.
On Saturday, February 12th, the organization will also offer free screenings of All U Need is Love at an AMC theatre downtown. The Hong Kong film featuring numerous famed actors, including Jackie Chan, Louis Koo, Tony Leung Ka-Fei, Michael Hui, and more, and was made to benefit film industry workers who faced difficulties during the pandemic.
New Orleans
From February 4th-6th, The Mary Queen of Vietnam Church is hosting its annual Tet Fest, according to New Orleans’ official city website.
The festivities will feature firecracker shows, traditional Vietnamese cuisine prepared by the Church, children’s activities, and performances such as dragon dances, drumming, and traditional áo dài attire. According to Gambit, the celebration will feature music by American Idol contestant Myra Tran, along with Don Ho, Diem Lien, Chau Ngoc Ha, and others.
Erica Tran, writing for New Orleans Mom, recounts the traditional activities, including gambling game bầu cua tôm cá, and foods, such as phở, a noodle soup, Cháo gà, a rice porridge with chicken, and cà phê sữa đá, Vietnamese coffee, featured at the festival.
“We welcome you to the Tết festival and encourage you to wear red, a lucky color, to celebrate the year of the tiger,” Tran writes. “Those born in the year of the tiger are ambitious and competitive, but generous with a strong desire to help others. Encourage your kids to be like the tiger and find ways to help others in honor of the new year! And once again, happy lunar new year from my family to yours!”
These events are only a small glimpse of the wide variety of Lunar New Year celebrations across the United States. Other cities like Boston, Philadelphia, Houston, Spokane, Washington D.C. (as previously covered by AsAmNews), Los Angeles, and more have all planned events to welcome the Year of the Tiger. Whether you are celebrating at home or at a public event, AsAmNews wishes everyone a Happy Lunar New Year!
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