Lunar New Year

As an Australian-born Chinese with most of my extended family back in China, Lunar New Year has always been a special moment for me to reconnect with my culture. It’s a time that centres around family, tradition, and the belief that how you begin the year helps shape everything that follows.

Celebrated across many cultures and countries, Lunar New Year marks the start of a new year based on the lunar calendar. While traditions differ, the meaning is shared: welcoming good fortune, honouring what’s come before, and stepping into the year ahead with care. Rituals often include spoken phrases - wishes for luck, health and prosperity - the giving of red pockets, and generous feasts filled with symbolic dishes, all shared communally.

What you wear also plays a meaningful role. Red is often worn to symbolise luck and happiness, sometimes paired with new clothes to represent a fresh start. Some families love to dress up in elegant outfits saved for the occasion. Others, like mine, keep it simple where a red top is usually enough to feel festive and intentional.