Buddhist holiday brings multicultural orientation to Lake Stevens
Chinese New Year creates fun and meditative activities for families
Senior Marcus Huang celebrates the Chinese New Year surrounded by family and tradition. On February 8, Huang and family members paid their respects to their ancestors and enjoyed the food and festivities that come hand-in-hand with the holiday. “I have family in Hong Kong and I have family in Japan…we don’t talk all that much so we always skype or facetime,” Huang said.
Derived from the traditional lunar calendar, the Chinese New Year was celebrated on Monday, February 8, 2016. Locally, a handful of families that celebrate the Buddhist holiday.
Paying respects to ancestors and being with family serves important aspects to the new year traditions. Senior Marcus Huang and his family cherished this day by gathering together and going out to dinner.
“My whole family gets together…we always meet at my grandpa’s house. Then we visited my grandma, she passed away, and we pay our respects because that’s what you got to do,” Huang said.
There are traditional symbols that are said to ensure good luck for the new year. Tangerines, oranges and Lai Cee’s (small red envelopes with money inside) represent energy, happiness and prosperity. Other objects like bamboo, cherry blossom branches, stalks of pussy willow and touching the dragon bring luck as the year progresses.
“You gotta touch the dragon. If you’re in Chinatown, they are going to have those people under the dragon puppets, and it’s good luck to touch the dragon,” Huang said
Chinese New Year is a meditative holiday as well as a time to have fun and enjoy time with those closest to you.
Marcus's older brother • Feb 23, 2016 at 12:11 am
Little bro… Chinese new year is a Confucian concept…not a Buddhist one. Ancestral worship and filial piety are hallmarks of Confucian and Chinese folk traditions, especially since it was established between the Qin and Han dynasties by the yellow emperor. Buddhism at this time was near non-existent in China at this time. Trust me, I’ve studied this stuff. And you didn’t give me a “Lai Cee” this year. Weeb.