Although they celebrate the New Year of the Dog on February 16, Asian countries have different ways to enjoy the biggest festival of the year.
About one-sixth of the world’s population celebrates the New Year of the Rooster in the last week of January . Activities to welcome the lunar new year are held in many Asian countries from Korea, China to Vietnam.. .
Asian countries celebrate the new year according to the lunar calendar and share many similarities in culture and traditions, from ancestor worship, respect for the elderly to the custom of celebrating the age of children in the family. However, each country also has its own identity.
Koreans only have 3 days off, from the last day of the old year to the 2nd day of the New Year. Some people even go to work these days.
Korean women often spend all 3 days off for cleaning, decorating the house and cooking for family members. Meanwhile, men are also busy with traditional ceremonial jobs.
Before the arrival of the new year, Koreans take a hot bath to wash away the bad luck of the old year. They light a fire with sticks on New Year’s Eve, because the sound of the wood will drive away evil spirits.
During the three days of Tet, after performing the ancestor worship ritual, the people of kimchi visit relatives, relatives and temples.
Fun activities to welcome the Korean New Year usually take place in only 3 days. (Photo: Pinterest).
China is considered to have the longest Tet holiday among Asian countries.
The Chinese have about 10 days to enjoy the spring festival atmosphere. However, most of them usually start to return home and reunite with their families a week before Tet, many fun festivals last until mid-January.
Activities on each day of the New Year are carefully prepared and scrutinized by the Chinese people. The 1st is a family day, the 2nd is to visit the wife’s parents, the 3rd is a taboo day, there are no visiting activities…
After the Lunar New Year, China celebrates the Lunar New Year on January 15 , which is also one of the biggest festivals of the year in this country.
Vietnamese people have about 1 week for the longest holiday of the year. Most people return to work after the 3rd day of Tet. Vietnamese people are also interested in the timing of activities and journeys in the first days of the new year.
One of the most popular destinations for Vietnamese people is pagodas and temples. Vietnamese people consider it a way to wish for a lucky and prosperous new year.
Although the Tet holiday lasts only 1 week, fun activities and festivals usually take place throughout January. Vietnamese people have hundreds of festivals during this period.
Asian countries share a family-oriented tradition during the first days of the lunar new year.
Before Tet, people living far from home will undergo a “great migration” to return to reunite with family members.
The world’s largest “migration” of the Chinese. (Photo: Xinhua).
The Chinese and Vietnamese are simpler and less cumbersome. In the days before Tet, family members clean the house together, buy furniture to prepare for Tet.
They eat together, go to pagodas to pray for good luck and visit relatives at the beginning of the year. Some families also often organize birthday celebrations for grandparents.
In recent years, Chinese people tend to travel abroad during Tet due to long holidays. There are also family reunions during Tet, but Koreans have more rituals.
On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, Koreans conduct an ancestor worshiping ceremony called “Chesa” presided over by the eldest son in the family. Offerings and rice wine are displayed on the table in the middle of the house. The owner burns incense, invites ancestors, and the whole family bows down to do the ceremony.
After “Chesa” is the “Seba” ceremony, children and grandchildren bow to their grandparents and parents with the meaning of happy new year and good luck. Grandparents, parents will reward money or gold, jade or a precious gift for their children and grandchildren in the family.
In addition, Korean families build small houses from wood and firewood, called “Moon Houses”. They burned these houses with their wishes for the new year. This is a ritual to ward off evil spirits and express wishes for wishes to come true soon.
Children in Asian countries are looking forward to Tet because this is the occasion when they receive money to celebrate their birthday. Korean children can only receive lucky money if they are obedient and follow traditional rituals on New Year’s Day. Not only that, some well-to-do families also celebrate their age with gold, jade…
Dumplings are an indispensable dish for Chinese people during the New Year. (Photo: Vera and Jean Christophe).
In China and Vietnam, the elderly often celebrate the age of children in red envelopes. They believe that it is a way to ward off evil spirits and welcome good luck in the first days of the year.
Adults often give each other expensive dishes such as fruits, seafood, rare ginseng…
The Lunar New Year is also an occasion for Asians to prepare and enjoy special traditional dishes with different meanings and messages.
The Chinese and Vietnamese share similarities in New Year’s candy trays. Each type of candy has its own meaning. Cantaloupe seeds symbolize joy, happiness, sincerity. Dried cloth is a symbol of strong family ties. Kumquats evoke prosperity and are an indispensable dish in China. Coconut jam brings togetherness…
In addition to traditional confectionery, the Korean New Year’s tray cannot lack rice cake soup, a soup that means luck and happiness in the new year. There are also other dishes such as dried fish, dried beef, steamed buns, fruits, vegetables and dried persimmons.