Lunar New Year and Tết 2024: The Year of the Dragon
February 10 marks the first new moon on the lunar calendar and the start of the Year of the Dragon. Lunar New Year is known by many names: The Spring Festival in China, Seollal in Korea, Tsaagan Sar in Mongolia, Tết in Vietnam, and is also observed in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Prior to the new year, houses are cleaned to remove any bad luck that might be lingering inside. Traditional celebrations involve family gatherings, religious ceremonies honoring ancestors, and exchanging red envelopes that contain money. Dances and fireworks are prevalent throughout the celebrations. Lunar New Year is celebrated for about fifteen days each year, culminating in the Lantern Festival on the last day, which is February 24 this year.
Lunar New Year is widely celebrated across the Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese diasporas worldwide. San Jose is home to the largest Vietnamese population outside of Vietnam and Tết is important in our local community. There are many local, Bay Area celebrations held throughout February to welcome the new year:
