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The Lunar New Year is almost upon us. 2024 is the Year of the Dragon, which symbolizes honor and success in the Chinese zodiac. It's a time for families to get together, don new clothes, eat good food, and celebrate new beginnings.
What is Lunar New Year?
This special holiday celebration begins on Saturday, February 10. It marks the first new moon of the lunisolar calendars traditional to many East Asian countries, including China, South Korea, and Vietnam. Whether it’s called Chinese New Year, Losar, Seollal, or Tết, Lunar New Year is celebrated by nearly 2 billion people across the globe.
In China, the Lunar New Year festival lasts 15 days, starting with a large feast on the night of its New Year’s Eve (this year it’s Friday, February 9) and ending with the Spring Lantern Festival (Saturday, February 24).
When is Lunar New Year 2024?
This year, Lunar New Year starts on Saturday, February 10 and goes for 15 days, ending on Saturday, February 24.
How to celebrate Lunar New Year 2024 with kids
However long your culture chooses to celebrate, Lunar New Year is a holiday filled with family-oriented traditions that honor good fortune. Having kids in the family, however, means you'll have to think up ways to include them in the celebrations and keep them entertained. Here are some ideas for how you and your family members, including the kids, can celebrate together.
1. Read up on Lunar New Year traditions
Both of these books talk about the array of cultures that celebrate Lunar New Year.
Whether your family is well-versed in the history and traditions behind the Lunar New Year, or you’re looking to learn more about this 3,500-year-old tradition, story time is always the best time to reflect on a holiday.
There are so many wonderful children’s books about Lunar New Year as it pertains to each culture, but we recommend Our Lunar New Year by Yobe Qiu. This vibrant title engages children in five different Lunar New Year traditions. Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, and Indian storylines each tell of favorite annual rituals from these cultures.
For older kids, the Mindy Kim book series is a fun and entertaining page-turner. The second book in this series has the Korean-American protagonist celebrating Lunar New Year, enjoying old holiday traditions while creating new ones.
Read this book to your kids to get them excited!
In this book, the characters celebrate the lunar new year in India.
2. Don some new red clothes
New clothes symbolize new beginnings!
A cross-cultural Lunar New Year tradition is for kids to get haircuts and new clothes, to bring a fresh start to the coming year.
In Asian cultures, red is considered the color of luck and of joy. A new outfit symbolizes new beginnings, and if it’s red those beginnings are sure to be filled with good fortune.
Red clothes are also said to scare away evil spirits and invite good fortune for the year to come, so sport some scarlet from head to toe! Brands like Janie & Jack and J.Crew's Crew Cuts have fun, festive, and slightly more formal clothes for family gatherings.
Dress your kids in these adorable outfits.
Shop stylish clothes to wear for lunar year.
3. Deck the halls with red and gold
Decorating your house in red and gold symbolizes happiness and prosperity.
The color of good luck and happiness shouldn’t be relegated to clothing alone. Deck the halls in crimson as well—and combine it with gold while you’re at it.
While red is for luck and joy, gold—unsurprisingly—symbolizes wealth and prosperity. Combining the two colors is a welcome mat for good fortune and prosperity in the New Year. This red garland and gold balloon combo set a shimmering stage that's sure to ring in an auspicious start to the New Year.
Create a gorgeous sparkly atmosphere with this decor.
These metallic balloons will truly stand out. Find unique ways to decorate for lunar year.
4. Learn an ancient art form
Jianzhi is an ornate paper cutting art. You can buy some to decorate with, or have your child make their own.
A fun and kid-friendly activity is the Chinese art of Jianzhi, a highly ornate paper cutting art that takes decades of disciplined practice, but—at its heart—is similar to cutting out paper snowflakes.
All you need is some red paper and some scissors to make these festive red Chinese New Year decorations. Like snowflakes, no two paper cutouts are exactly alike, so kids can make their own special statement in what they create.
It's tough enough to fold and curl without tearing.
It's an art form that has been passed on for centuries.
5. Have a lucky dinner
Goldbelly can deliver a dim sum dinner filled with symbolic dishes for a lucky New Year.
A lucky dinner, filled with dishes that hold symbolic meanings, makes an auspicious start to the lunar year. Poultry represents unity and loyalty. Whole fish represents prosperity and abundance. Shrimp dumplings and pork dumplings represent prosperity, while the “longevity noodles” are meant to honor and encourage a long and happy life.
A full lunar New Year dinner is filled with intention and meaning. There are dozens of cookbooks for inspiration, but you can also make dinner come to you via Goldbelly.
With options to order from such places as the legendary Jing Fong and from the kitchen of the culinary hall of famer Ming Tsai, you are sure to have an impressive spread that will ring in a prosperous year.
Shop all Lunar New Year food items here, sweet or savory.
6. Fill some little red envelopes
These red envelopes are specially for children and contain money as a symbol of good luck and prosperity.
During that lucky dinner, be sure to hand out traditional red envelopes or hóng bāo in Mandarin and lai see in Cantonese.
These small red and gold packets are especially for children and contain money as a symbol of good luck and prosperity. Children are expected to spend the money within the year, so this sum shouldn’t go into their savings account. Instead, let them spend it on something that brings them joy.
Avoid giving coins, and try to give money in even amounts.
These are the perfect size to fit bank notes.
7. Make your own dragon dance
This fun kids' craft is filled with movement.
If you’re not able to get out and see the annual dragon dance at a Chinatown near you, bring the festival home. Dragons symbolize strength, power, dignity, and luck and are said to drive away evil spirits. Pull out the toy drums and cymbals and make your own dragon marionette, like this one from the Made With Happy blog.
Or, if you'd rather have a DIY kit, this fun dragon kit has everything you need for a speedy yet fun family craft.
This dragon decoration is a fun addition to your lunar new year celebrations.
8. Have a mini lantern festival
The Chinese New Year typically culminates with a Spring Lantern Festival.
The Lunar New Year celebration ends this year on Feb. 24 with the Spring Lantern Festival. If you aren't able to attend one at your local Chinatown, you can definitely celebrate at home with a kid-friendly craft, or by buying these festive year of the dragon lanterns to celebrate the start of spring.
These are easy to assemble and hang anywhere at home for decoration.
9. Learn the Chinese zodiac
This clever picture book teaches all about the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac.
We know it's the Year of the Dragon, but what does that actually mean? The 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac represent years, not months like they do in the Western zodiac. While both types of zodiacs discuss personality traits, the Chinese zodiac puts emphasis on generational differences, whereas the Western zodiac focuses on psychological ones.
This clever book has a young girl named Ruby meeting with each of the animals that represent the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac. In it, she learns each of their personality traits, their moral journeys, and what makes them unique from one another. It's a great explanation and primer to the meaning behind this tradition and gives insight into how we celebrate each Lunar New Year with respect to the animal it honors.
Your child will want to read this story again and again.
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