For many students, New Year’s comes twice a year. In addition to celebrating the new calendar year on both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, many Harker families also observe other New Year’s traditions. One such holiday, known as Lunar New Year, is based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar and commemorates the start of a new lunar year.

In the Gregorian calendar, Lunar New Year begins on the new moon that falls between late January and late February. The lunisolar calendar is used by many Asian countries, including China, Korea, Japan and Vietnam, all of which celebrate unique variations of Lunar New Year. Celebrations for Lunar New Year 2016 began on Feb. 8.

Celebrations for Lunar New Year differ from country to country. Chinese New Year, observed in China and Taiwan, commemorates the first 15 days of the new lunar year. Before the holiday, families clean their houses, an action believed to drive away bad luck and to welcome good luck. Many households also exchange hong bao, or red envelopes of money, and spend time with friends and family. Jordan Goheen (11) celebrates Chinese New Year with relatives overseas.

“The first important thing we really do is we call back to Taiwan. We Skype and talk to my cousins and my grandparents on [my mother’s] side,” Jordan said. “The next day, we have a big meal at dinner and we usually eat fish, dumplings and niangao, a rice cake—basically the traditional stuff.”

On the other hand, families in Korea observe Korean New Year. Celebrations of the holiday last three days, commemorating the day before the new year, the day of the new year itself and the day after the new year. Koreans celebrate Korean New Year by dressing in traditional Korean clothing, or hanbok. Families often construct “moon houses” out of firewood and set them on fire, a tradition that symbolizes the warding away of evil spirits.

Certain foods are also eaten during celebrations of the lunar new year. In China, families enjoy include dumplings, fish and rice cakes, delicacies that all hold symbolic significance in Chinese culture. Upper school Mandarin teacher Shaun Jahshan discusses the importance of eating fish on the holiday.

“There’s a saying, ‘nian nian you yu,’ which can mean ‘may there be surplus year after year,’ but the word yu also sounds like the Chinese word for ‘fish,’” Jahshan said. “Therefore, ‘nian nian you yu’ can also mean ‘may there be fish every year,’ which is why many families have fish while celebrating but only eat part of it to symbolize a surplus of food.”

Korean families often eat Tteokguk, or soup with rice cakes, on Korean New Year. Similarly, families in Japan make and eat mochi, or sticky rice cakes, with family. A collection of special dishes and foods, known as osechi, is also enjoyed on Japanese New Year.

Kelly Shen (9), whose family celebrates Chinese New Year, has her own personal connection with these two celebrations and what different celebrations of the new year reveal about cultures around the world.

“I think celebrations of the lunar new year and the traditions that surround it really show the sense of a familial unit because it’s really important to be with your family on such holidays,” Kelly said.

This piece was originally published in the pages of the Winged Post on March 2, 2016