Happy Chinese New Year! Celebrating the Year of the Dog

Gong xi fa cai! Happy Chinese New Year! Wishing you a happy and prosperous new year! It’s the Year of the Dog, and although I won’t be with my family in Minnesota or China to celebrate in person, you can bet I will still be celebrating in spirit. In Asian countries, Lunar New Year is a VERY big deal – arguably even bigger than the calendar new year. In China, the Lunar New Year is known as the “Spring Festival” and it is a national holiday.

Everyone is off work for days if not weeks (or the entire month) to celebrate with their families. Growing up, this was one of the important holidays of the year for my family. I have such fond memories tied to this annual event and it makes me so proud of my heritage. Cultural traditions are so special and unique – I really wanted to take the time to share some of mine around celebrating Chinese New Year.

Celebrating the Year of the Dog – Chinese New Year Traditions

Lunar New Year isn’t only celebrated in China. It’s one of the biggest holidays in the entire world and is celebrated all across Asia. In fact, Chinatowns across the US will be having parades and celebrating the occasion this weekend. If you live near a Chinatown and have never experienced it during the Lunar Festival, you have to see it for yourself! In China, this holiday is also referred to as the Spring Festival – marking the end of winter and beginning of spring.

People celebrate this occasion by cleaning their houses from top to bottom to get rid of bad fortune and decorating for the festivities. As you may have noticed, red is the most popular and symbolic color. Red signifies happiness, wealth, and good fortune. Many cities will hold lion and dragon dances, parades, and other celebratory festivities. It’s an incredibly exciting time! In many ways it is similar to Christmas in western cultures.

There is a gift-giving component as well!

typically in the form of “red envelopes” that as are given from older to younger. Parents and grandparents will give children these red envelopes and fill them with cash. The money inside the envelopes is said to be “lucky” and will bring good fortune to the younger generation.

And of course, you cannot forget the food.

Growing up, my favorite tradition was making dumplings (jiaozi) by hands with my family. The process would often take hours and was a time we could spend together, laughing and sharing stories. Of course, an entire feast is prepared with all sorts of dishes, but my favorite was always dumplings. When I was only 5 years old, I ate 20 dumplings in a sitting and my mom thought I was going to be sick.

It just so happens that this red oriental print is trending this season. Although I was initially a little surprised, I couldn’t help but fall in love with several of the pieces. This skirt from Revolve is super on point for CNY from the print to the cut, to the color. RED is the color of Chinese New Year and it’s fun to see contemporary interpretations of this popular print in the US. I’ve linked some of my other favorite Chinese New Year inspired pieces below.

What does the year of the dog mean?

The Lunar Cycle is divided into 12 years, each year represented by a different animal in the Chinese Zodiac. You may have noticed this zodiac with the 12 animals on placemats at Chinese restaurants. So if you aren’t sure what zodiac animal you are, read this. This year is the year of the dog.

According to the Chinese zodiac, the dog is loyal, honest, and intelligent. Also, very much like dogs in life – they are loving companions. What does this mean for you? Although it varies by person (much like in astrology, your specific zodiac sign makes a difference), the overall theme of the year should tie back to kindness and giving back. The dog is associated with the EARTH element, much more level-headed and grounded than FIRE. Finally, dogs are very compassionate and kind animals, which bodes well for the lunar year ahead of us.

bodysuit: h.ours | skirt: privacy please | shoes: tamara mellon

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