(A version of this article first appeared in Kingston Neighbours magazine, Febraury, 2024.)
Happy New Year, Part 2!
Millions of people around the world, particularly in Asia, celebrated the Lunar New Year on January 29 this year (2025). Celebrations last for several days and will end with the Lantern Festival on the first full moon of the lunisolar calendar this year, February 12th.
To get in the spirit and embrace this popular holiday, here is how you say Happy New Year in Mandarin and Cantonese:
Mandarin: Xin Nian Kuai Le (shin nee-an kwhy le)
Cantonese: San Nin Faai Lok (sun nee fy lock)
Another common greeting for Lunar New Year is to wish people prosperity and good fortune:
Mandarin: Gong Xi Fa Cai (gong shee fah tsai)
Cantonese: Kung Hei Fat Choi (gong hey faht choy)
Lunar New Year celebrations are thousands of years old, based on the ancient legend of Nian, a fearsome beast who entered villages on the eve of the new lunar year to eat people and animals. Because Nian was afraid of loud noises, bright lights and the colour red, villagers would stay up late, keep the lights on, hang red lanterns and set off firecrackers to keep Nian away.
These Lunar New Year traditions continue to this day along with many others depending on where you live, but often include cleaning house to sweep away bad luck and reuniting with family and friends for huge feasts. Dumplings are an especially popular Lunar New Year food around the world. However, my kids’ favourite tradition, which they got to participate in when we lived in Toronto, is the gifting of red envelopes of money to children to ward off evil spirits!
To celebrate the Lunar New Year with your kids, I highly recommend reading the picture book Friends Are Friends Forever, by Canadian author Dane Liu. It’s a heartwarming story about a young girl, Dandan, and her best friend, Yueyue, who make frozen red snowflakes together every Lunar New Year’s Eve. However, when Dandan and her family immigrate to America from China, a lonely Dandan has no one with whom to share her Lunar New Year traditions, until she meets Christina.
As much about the power of friendship and the loneliness of language barriers as it is about Lunar New Year traditions, Liu’s book will appeal to children on many levels. I especially loved the author’s note where she poignantly describes her own immigrant experience. The instructions at the end of the story on how to make a red snowflake are also a bonus. What a perfect activity for a snowy afternoon with your kids!
So on that note, I wish you and your family prosperity and good fortune in the new lunar year. Gong Xi Fa Cai and Kung Hei Fat Choi, everyone!
Lisa's Book Corner 
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