Celebrating the Lunar New Year: A time for reflection and renewal

As we welcome the Lunar New Year, it’s a time to reflect on the past year’s accomplishments and embrace new beginnings. Kevin Nguyen, Audit Supervisor, and Wesley Choy, BAS Supervisor, share how they celebrate the New Year.

Kevin Nguyen, Audit Supervisor

The Lunar New Year is a special occasion for family and friends to come together. On New Years Eve, my family, which is predominately Buddhist, heads to the temple at midnight for prayers to seek blessings from our ancestors. I enjoy this tradition, it gives me time to reflect on the past year, looking at life, family and career, and the people we’ve gained and lost. At the same time, it’s a chance to look forward with hope for the year ahead and think about how we can carry that positive mindset into our office and our work family, overcoming any obstacles that may have held us back in the past.

At home, we prepare offerings such as fruit and traditional food, alongside further prayers. For the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, specific fresh flowers, like cherry blossoms and kumquat flowers, are a significant part of the celebration.

On New Year’s Day, our entire family gathers to enjoy lots of food, mainly traditional Vietnamese meals such as Banh Chung (sticky rice cakes – which are typically only eaten during the Lunar New Year), spring rolls and a variety of cakes and desserts.

A key tradition during the Vietnamese New Year is giving red envelopes to both our elders and younger family members. A common tradition in our culture is that once you are married, you transition from receiving red envelopes to giving them. Red is the symbol of luck, prosperity and fortune. It also features at weddings and during significant events, such as the opening of a new business.

There are some funny traditions too. My grandma told me not to get a haircut during the first week of the new year otherwise my “good luck” will be shaved off.

As I’ve grown up, I’ve come to appreciate the significance of New Year celebrations in bringing the family together. Some of my fondest memories of the Lunar New Year are the smells of the traditional food prepared in the morning, along with all the sweets and desserts specific to this special time.

Wesley Choy, BAS Supervisor

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, we dress in new clothes to represent a fresh start. It’s a day filled with warmth and joy, as we visit relatives and friends, and share blessings for happiness and good fortune. It’s the perfect time to connect with loved ones and celebrate the beginning of a new year together.

We decorate our doorway with fai chun, banners featuring meaningful Chinese phrases that symbolise good luck and prosperity.

My family usually gathers to share a meal, and the food we eat during the Lunar New Year often carries symbolic meaning based on its pronunciation or appearance. For example, we always include fish because the word for "fish" in Chinese sounds like "surplus," symbolising wealth and abundance. This reminds us to look forward to a year filled with prosperity and good fortune.

Each Lunar New Year marks the beginning of a new zodiac year. In 2025, we enter the Year of the Snake which is all about growth and renewal - sounds like the perfect year for reflection, thoughtful planning, and both personal and professional growth.

My favourite aspect of the Lunar New Year is the opportunity to gather with loved ones, share meals, and reconnect with friends and family, some of whom we may not see throughout the year. It’s a time to strengthen bonds, reflect on the past year, and share hopes and blessings for the year ahead.