LYNNWOOD — Happy New Year— again!
Tomorrow, Feb. 1 is the Chinese/Vietnamese New Year and has much of the local Asian community celebrating the year of the “Qui Mui,” or goat.
“It’s like our birthday party, our people are one year older on the New Year,” said “Anna” Tuoi Nguyen, owner of Anna’s Nails at 20815 67th Avenue W. in Lynnwood.
Nguyen, originally from Vietnam, now an American citizen, dressed up in her traditional gown recently at her nail shop and hoped her customers would enjoy all of the authentic treats she set out for them to try.
“We came here and we learn about the American way,” Nguyen said, “I want to be able to let the Americans know about what we do too.”
While Nguyen is Buddhist and she celebrates the New Year at her temple, she said that this holiday isn’t about religion but instead tradition and symbolism.
New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving, she said.
The New Year, also known as the spring festival, according to website Chinatown_online.org, is the oldest and most important festival in China and Vietnam.
The traditional parades with dancing dragons are what most westerners connect with this widely celebrated holiday.
Like all Chinese/ Vietnamese festivals, the date of the new year is determined by the lunar/solar calendar rather than the Western (Gregorian) calendar, so the date of the holiday varies from late January to mid February, the website states.
“The Spring festival celebrates the earth coming back to life, and the start of plowing and sowing. In the past, feudal rulers of dynasties placed great importance on this occasion, and ceremonies to usher in the season were performed,” the website stated.
Preparations for the New Year festival start during the last few days of the last moon. Houses are thoroughly cleaned, debts repaid, hair cut and new clothes bought. Doors are decorated with vertical scrolls of characters on red paper whose texts seek good luck and praise nature, In many homes incense is burned, and also in the temples as a mark of respect to ancestors.
On the new day, departed relatives are remembered with great respect because they were responsible for laying the foundations for the fortune and glory of the family, Nguyen said.
Most celebrating the festival stay up till midnight, when fireworks are lit, to drive away evil spirits. New Years day is often spent visiting neighbors, family and friends.
Nguyen added, the day is also filled with many traditions and food is a big part of it.
On New Year’s Eve houses are brightly lit and a large family dinner is served.
In the south of China, sticky-sweet glutinous rice pudding called “nian gao” is served, while in the north and in Vietnam the steamed dumpling “jiaozi” is popular.
Nguyen said, some other traditional foods include many candied fruits and vegetables and a dumpling-like-cake filled with “squished rice,” “and green beans and pork.”
During the celebration days, usually three days, Nguyen said, loved ones also exchange red envelopes filled with money.
“The money gives you good luck for the whole year,” Nguyen said.
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