Lunar‌ ‌New‌ ‌Year‌ ‌Celebration‌ ‌2022‌ ‌

February 1, 2022, marks the beginning of the new year in the Chinese calendar. Amidst the new COVID-19 restrictions, many students are continuing their Lunar New Year traditions and celebrations. 

When asked a question about what she looks forward to most during this Lunar New Year’s celebration, Maia Kuo believes that there will not be many New Year celebrations going on this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although, if their celebrations do take place, she hopes that safety measures will be taken to ensure the wellbeing of everyone. 

“I do not think there will be many celebrations this year. If there are celebrations then I hope it will be held safely,” said Kuo. 

On the other hand, there are many exciting things that she is excited about, which include spending time with family and receiving red envelopes. “There is nothing more fun than receiving a red envelope from a loved one during Lunar New Year,” Kuo shared. 

As for her Lunar New Year traditions, she states that she does not have any particular traditions, although family members will give out red envelopes and make a family dinner. She also noted that many families who celebrate Lunar New Year share similar traditions like handing out red envelopes. 

According to an article by Google Arts & Culture, the primary reason why red envelopes are handed out is that the red envelopes contain money, symbolizing luck, good wishes, and prosperity for the year ahead. 

For Kuo, Lunar New Year means a time to spend quality time with family.  “Lunar New Year means to me a holiday/festival for family time. It is a great time to spend time with loved ones as a new year starts,” Kuo stated. 

Although there isn’t as much gathering this year compared to pre-pandemic, those who celebrate Lunar New Year are trying to make the best of this new year by spending time with loved ones. 

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