Happy Lunar New Year! Lunar New Year is a 15-day celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. Observed Feb. 10, Lunar New Year is the biggest holiday in China, and it is also celebrated in South Korea, Vietnam, and countries with large Chinese populations.
2024 marks the Year of the Dragon
The Dragon is the only mythical animal in the Chinese zodiac, and represents strength, health and good luck. The element of wood makes it even more special, symbolizing evolution, a time for new beginnings, and laying the foundation for future success.
Fun fact: The dragon is our Founder & Co-CEO Connor’s lunar animal!
Leadership, prosperity and good luck rule the Year of the Dragon. There’s even good fortune in the colors you wear – gold, yellow and green.
Can you relate to this Lunar New Year tradition? Just before the holiday, which falls on the second new moon after the December 21 winter solstice, it’s time to clean house, get rid of negative influences, and get ready to start the new year fresh.
During the celebrations, it’s customary to visit family and friends, eat traditional foods, enjoy fireworks, or attend a New Year’s festival. A longstanding Chinese tradition is to exchange “hongbao,” red envelopes of money, with red symbolizing good luck and protection against evil spirits.
Lunar New Year ends with a Festival of Lanterns – an essential part of this celebration, much like Christmas trees or Thanksgiving turkeys in other cultures. They represent prosperity, and can be found on the streets, in doorways and in homes, wherever the holiday is observed.
Happy Lunar New Year from Merit America – here’s wishing all of us good luck, prosperity and continued success in 2024!