UTS celebrates Lunar New Year

Photo from Pak Hok Kung Fu International 

Lunar New Year is the celebration of a new year, signified by the first new moon of the lunar calendar. This year's festival marks the year of the Dragon, said to represent qualities of power, strength, good luck, and wisdom. In 2024, the festival will run from Saturday 10 February to Saturday 24 February, with the celebration ending on the first full moon. We asked staff and students to share their Lunar New Year traditions and learned about how the UTS community celebrates.

Elizabeth Kuo-Gollan (staff member, Respect.Now.Always)

I celebrate a few traditions with my family over Lunar New Year. In the coming weeks, I will:

• be buying new clothes (new clothes = new start). But really, who needs an excuse to shop, right?
• honouring our ancestors by visiting the cemeteries where they have been buried, and paying respects by offering food, tea and burning incense.
• getting Lai see (red envelope) for the kids to wish them good luck, and good health
• be lion dancing! I'm part of a martial arts and lion dance group and have been an active member of Pak Hok Kung Fu International for most of my life. I'm usually the drummer, but occasionally, you'll see me under the lion head.

You can catch Elizabeth and Pak Hok Kung Fu International on SBS Viceland (Channel 31) on Saturday 10 February at 6:15pm and watch the special on Youtube afterwards!

Photo from Pak Hok Kung Fu International/Elizabeth Kuo-Gollan

Simon Au (Student and President of UTS Traditional Chinese Culture Association)

I am not an authority on other cultures that celebrate the Lunar New Year. However, for Chinese New Year, family is absolutely central, which is why we were motivated to do something for our international students who would have been missing home at the time. 

Activities, as well as food, can vary from region to region. One of the more common activities is to make dumplings with family, which is why making dumplings together has been part of our past events. 

In some places, it is customary to hide a coin in one of the dumplings while making them. The person who gets that dumpling will have good luck for the year! 

Another activity is carrying lanterns out on the final evening of the New Year week celebrations. In the past, riddles were written on lanterns in the streets for people. Young people, with their friends, would go out to solve the riddles but also take the opportunity to meet a significant other. 

Photo from UTS Traditional Chinese Culture Association

Jade Ng (Communication Student)

Having grown up in Sydney, going to Hong Kong for Lunar New Year was a rare treat. The two-week celebration was filled with back-to-back Yum Cha and reuniting with Aunties I don't remember the names of. Aside from the food and lion dancing, I can't talk about LNY and not mention the Lai See (red envelopes) that my parents always helped me “save”. My family routinely keeps up with the predicted fortune of our zodiacs and it’s always fun to figure out who's the most auspicious in the coming year.

We wish everyone a fruitful and prosperous Lunar New Year filled with family, friends and celebration.