Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year will be celebrated this year on Saturday, February 10 by many Asian communities around the world and Americans of Asian origin, including those of Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tibetan, Mongolian, Singaporean, Malaysian and Filipino heritage. Though Lunar New Year is marked by different traditions, and called varied names across these cultures, all focus on celebrating and strengthening family and community bonds.
The Lunar New Year or Spring Festival is based on the Lunar calendar, which includes the Chinese zodiac, or Sheng Xiao, (pronounced sheng shi ah ow) a repeating 12-year cycle of animal signs and their ascribed attributes. Here, Sheng means year of birth and Xiao means resemblance. Though the animal signs can vary across cultures, the Lunar New Year marks the transition from one animal to the next, February 9, 2024, ending the Year of the Rabbit, and February 10, 2024, starting the Year of the Dragon. The dragon is the fifth of the 12 zodiac animal signs, and those born in the Year of the Dragon are often seen as courageous and intelligent, and displaying tenacity, enthusiasm, and confidence. The year of the Dragon is considered particularly auspicious, and is associated with good fortune, wisdom, and success.
Several local governments in Pennsylvania including Centre County, Borough of State College, Ferguson Township and Patton Township issue proclamations for Lunar New Year.
What we can do
- Familiarize ourselves with the different names, traditions, and varied celebrations for the Lunar New Year across different cultures and countries.
- Have conversations to explore and understand diverse Lunar New Year traditions, and the experiences of the many members of our Penn State community who celebrate this holiday.
- Participate in some of the many Lunar New Year activities at Penn State campuses and surrounding communities, cities, or states.