What may look like a typical home dinner for Naperville resident Nancy Chen and her family is actually part of a special tradition in observance of the Lunar New Year.
“This is the most important holiday in the Chinese tradition,” Chen said.
What is the Lunar New Year?
The holiday follows the lunar calendar instead of the Western calendar, meaning the new year begins with the first new moon between late January and mid-February, and marks the beginning of spring.
The Lunar New Year has been celebrated for thousands of years across many Asian cultures, including Vietnamese, Korean, and more. Each lunar year is tied to one of 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac, with this year’s being the horse, a symbol of energy, independence, and perseverance.
“It’s a time for reunion and renewal, to begin a new year very much like Thanksgiving, a time to be thankful, a time to have families get together,” said Chen.
Traditions and customs
Chen says it all starts on Lunar New Year’s Eve, with family gathering for a meal that typically includes fried dumplings and a sweet rice cake. On Lunar New Year’s Day, those who celebrate aren’t supposed to work, clean, or cook.
“Because that sets the tone that you’re going to have a great year ahead, not working too hard,” said Chen.
The Lunar New Year continues for 15 days. Part of the celebration is a custom known as hongbao, giving children and teens a red envelope with money inside as a symbol of good luck and blessings for the year ahead, as well as a lesson.
“A big part of Chinese New Year is definitely respecting your elders – like the tradition of bowing to your elders when you receive that red envelope, that’s showing respect towards them,” said Chen’s granddaughter Hannah Horgan.
Other traditions include decorating with red and gold, exchanging gifts, having candies and sweets, enjoying parades and customary dragon dances, and lighting fireworks.
Sharing culture with Naperville community
Chen was born in China but grew up in Taiwan, as her parents took her and her siblings there to flee communism. Chen came to the U.S. in her early 20’s, met her husband Bill, and the two have lived in Naperville for the past 50 years.
“Even when we came here, we still wanted to maintain that tradition and we wanted that tradition to be passed down to future generations,” said Chen.
“This world is just more global these days and it’s kind of nice to have different identities that you can learn from one another,” said her daughter, Jennifer Chen. “Naperville’s really fostered that type of community over the last few decades.”
While more than a quarter of Naperville’s population is Asian, according to the city of Naperville website, Chen says she still wants more people to know about their culture. In fact, she’s the founding president of Chinese-American Women in Action.
“Most people don’t know enough about Asian culture, but they’re curious about it,” she said. “They want to learn more, and that is why it is up to us to share our culture, our traditions.”
Those traditions are thought to bring prosperity and happiness in the new year, sentiments shared by the Chen family and millions of other people around the world as they celebrate the Lunar New Year. Celebrations end on March 3 with the traditional Lantern Festival.
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