What do you think of when you hear the words “new year?” Many of you probably think of January first: the big apple, fireworks, and resolutions. But the truth is there are over twenty-six different new years around the world. January 29th marked the start of the Lunar New Year, a fifteen-day celebration signifying a new year on the lunisolar calendar. Over a billion people, mainly in Asia, celebrate it, as do many Evanstonians!
In anticipation of the start of Lunar New Year, people crowded onto Dempster Street in a flurry of red coats and cozy mittens. Many took shelter from the cold in neighboring shops and restaurants whose warm interiors were already prepared with arts and crafts, along with Lunar New Year traditions such as Suminagashi Printing and a Red Envelope Activity. At 2 pm children and adults alike gravitated outside to listen to Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss’s welcoming speech. Soon after, Chicago Northwest Suburban Chinese School & the Brothers Lion Dance Group performed a long-awaited traditional Lion Dance.
One family who’d accidentally stumbled upon the celebration expressed their curiosity, “We’re here to explore stuff and we appreciate the tea!”
The event was a welcoming place for both those that celebrate Lunar New Year, and those new to the holiday.
While the Dempster Street celebration was an exciting way to ring in the new year, it is far from the only way that Lunar New Year is celebrated. ETHS sophomore Clara Buell said that her family celebrates Lunar New Year by “making wontons and wearing red,” along with a couple of other traditions.
Another sophomore at ETHS, Quynh Lenz, described her New Year’s routine: “We visit my grandparents every year and we go to a temple for their New Year’s service. We also help them make vegetarian food to offer to relatives that have passed and we can’t eat meat on New Year’s Day. We also have a lot of people over for dinner after the temple service is done.”
In 2025, Lunar New Year ends February 12th, waving goodbye to the year of the dragon and hello to the year of the snake with the Festival of Lanterns, a day typically filled with large warm colored lights, riddles, and dances. To those of you who’ve never been to a Lunar New Year celebration, check it out next year… and to those of you who celebrate, happy new year!
