Chinese New Year kicks off with fireworks, lion dances and lanterns

For Asian-Americans, gathering with family may be more hard, as work and academic schedules aren’t created to accommodate the Lunar New Year.

Saturday is the start of the Chinese New Year – one of the most important holidays in China. “In order to let foreign audiences feel as they are in China, we have made every effort to make the party as “Chinese” as possible”, said the officers of the Chinese Student Association.

“It’s culture. It’s tradition”. “So that’s why I am here and (why I) welcomed so many people to come here”.

Sample some “lucky” new year foods and find out why they are traditionally considered to be lucky.

Across Asia millions celebrated The Year of the Fire Rooster.

The occasion will be marked locally in coming days by events in Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, UC Irvine and elsewhere.

But last Lunar New Year, yee sang – sold premade in any Singaporean grocery – was nowhere to be found here, even at venerable Asian grocer Uwajimaya.

The city reported 25 fires caused by fireworks on Friday, one less than previous year.

Thousands of people began to travel home to celebrate the holiday every day with nearly 9.2 million train trips scheduled across the country.

Lunar New Year is the only time many people make the long trek home to see their families, some traveling more than a thousand miles.

According to Chinese traditions, the zodiac representation of the year has great impact over our personalities and over that year’s events.

Homes would be filled with red paper decorations: lanterns, scrolls of paper with Chinese proverbs in calligraphy and firecrackers waiting to be popped to usher in the New Year. No matter how you say or spell it, we wish you a happy Lunar New Year.

“Food is a big part of our life, a big part of our celebration”, said Li.

Also present at the celebration yesterday was the newly-appointed High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Brunei Darussalam Air Vice-Marshal Mahmud Hussain and spouse, who arrived in the country just two months ago. Her pen name is Khanh Diep.

“Young people give a red envelop to parents, but most significantly at new years parents give a red envelop containing money to unmarried and young people”.