Lucky money, dragon and lion dances and the crackle of firecrackers marked the start of the Lunar New Year, which took place on Jan. 29 in 2025. This early date is a rare occurrence, as the holiday usually falls in February.
The Asian holiday tradition, which follows a lunar calendar based on the moon’s 12 phases, is associated with one of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac. Unlike the Western Gregorian calendar with its 365-day years, each lunar phase cycle is approximately 29 days, resulting in a 354-day year.
2025 is the Year of the Serpent. Unlike Western cultures, which often demonize snakes, Chinese culture reveres serpents as a symbol of renewal, longevity and health.
While most Asian countries use the traditional Chinese zodiac template, Vietnam made a significant change, replacing the rabbit zodiac with the cat zodiac.
Alexandria Makovskaia, 18, English major, said the people she knows are only familiar with the dominant cultural holidays like Christian holidays and the American holiday seasons.
“Most people (outside the Bay Area) are not familiar with all the different holidays (like the Lunar New Year) that take place (but) I know there are a lot of different celebrations happening,” Makovskaia said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for community building and increasing awareness about all the different cultural practices.”
The Lunar New Year celebration has expanded its traditions to America and today, it not only impacts the Asian community, but it also spreads its awareness and influences to its non-Asian community counterpart.
Grace Gutierrez, 19, political science major, said she always goes up to San Francisco with her family to watch the Lunar New Year parade in Chinatown.
“It’s a diverse place here and with the tech business taking over the Bay Area, it’s kind of refreshing to see these celebrations still being held,” Gutierrez said. “It’s more of a reminder of who we really are culturally rather than (just) Silicon Valley that everybody likes to see us as.” To better understand the Lunar New Year custom and how it became a popular non-American event, this tradition started a long time ago in China.
The origins of the lunar calendar are associated with the Xia dynasty that ruled from 2070 to 1600 B.C. Some Scholars believe that origins of the actual New Year celebrations go back to the rule of the Shang dynasty from 1600 to 1050 B.C.
Chinese fairytale believes that long ago in ancient China, there was a beast called “Nian” that looked like a lion with a sharp horn. It lived at the bottom of the sea and would only come ashore on the last day of the lunar year to eat people and livestock.
Then one year, an old man with silver hair came to one of the villages and drove away the beast. The villagers soon discovered that the old man was a celestial being who had come to help them.
The celestial being told the villagers the three secret weapons to drive Nian away are: red items, bright lights and firecrackers. Thus, on the last day of every year, people put up red couplets, hang up red lanterns, set off firecrackers and keep lights on late to ward off Nian.
Midas Fernandez, 18, sculpture major, said there are many who are unaware of the Lunar New Year’s actual date, so it’s important to be culturally aware of other people’s traditions and give them time off to be with their families.
“I don’t think I’m completely familiar with how different cultures celebrate (the Lunar New Year),” Fernandez said. “Because I know that there are different names (for it) depending on what country is celebrating.”
The Lunar New Year is celebrated by many Asian ethnicities, but the date varies by country due to different lunar calculations. Tibetan and Mongolian New Year may coincide with Chinese New Year or occur a month later. In addition, Hmong New Year is sometimes celebrated in November and December.
The Lunar New Year is widely celebrated in the Bay Area, particularly in cities in major metropolitan cities like San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland, due to their large Asian populations. As a result, there are many events in different cities that celebrate this annual tradition, which brings the community together.
Arhaam Azhari, 20, computer science major, is an international student from India, who has been living in the Bay Area for a year and a half. He experienced his first Lunar New Year celebration in San Francisco’s Chinatown in 2024.
Azhari said he has noticed the participation of many non-Asians at these events.
“I was thrilled to see so many Whites, Americans and even Europeans turn up in San Francisco,” Azhari said. “It was (interesting) seeing so many non-Asians celebrate (the Lunar New Year), but it was kind of baffling.”
In Vietnamese culture, the Lunar New Year is called “Tet.” While San Jose has hosted multiple Tet festivals in past years, including events at Vietnam Town and Eastridge Mall, this year’s main event was held at Kelley Park. There were also smaller Lunar New Year celebrations taking place this year at the Grand Century Mall and various Buddhist temples.
This is a stark contrast in comparison to Tet celebrations in Vietnam.
Tien Nguyen, 18, computer science major, is an international student from Vietnam, who has celebrated the Lunar New Year abroad but has not attended any of the festivities in the U.S.
Nguyen said students get about two weeks off from school while companies give their employees up to six days off from work to celebrate Tet.
“Shops and restaurants are closed for three days during the Lunar New Year period in Vietnam because everyone celebrates it at home with their family,” Nguyen said. “We (also) go to the graveyard of our ancestors to pray for them.”
