By the time you are reading this, Lunar New Year 2022 should have passed; however, that doesn’t mean that the strong spirit has died off.

 What is the meaning of the Lunar New Year? Well, we– mainly countries within East and Southeast Asia– celebrate it at the beginning of the new year on the Chinese Solar calendar. This event would follow with a three to seven holiday break, and families are expected to reunite with relatives and friends. However, due to the Omicron virus spreading across the world, it is not recommended going out. During the third day of New Year’s, families celebrate “chi kou,” which is where people go to the temples. During that period, married couples are expected to hand out red packets (hóngbāo) filled with money to children and unmarried couples to wish them luck. 

There are also rules and superstitions that people must follow during this time. For example, you’re not allowed to wash or cut your head as it is claimed to be washing away all of the good fortune. In addition, most people only wear red during this time as it means luck and prosperity. Lunar New Year helps people come together as we count down the final seconds of the New Year which makes it more worth it.