Lunar New Year, Chinese New Year, and How to Teach About It

Some countries in Asia celebrate the Gregorian New Year on January 1st. Some countries celebrate the Lunar New Year according to the Lunar Calendar. Some celebrate both.

There are many names for the Lunar New Year depending on the culture, country, and language. People in China celebrate the Chinese New Year or Chunjie. Tibetans celebrate Losar. Vietnamese people celebrate Tết. Koreans celebrate Seollal. Mongolians celebrate Tsagaan Sar. All of these holidays fall on or around the same date in the lunar calendar.

Culturally responsive teachers go beyond the mainstream approach of solely teaching about the Chinese New Year. While a mainstream teacher might teach about Chinese New Year, a multicultural teacher will explore the cultures and traditions across a region to give their students a depth of understanding that goes beyond basic knowledge and stereotypes.

Busting Stereotypes with the Lunar New Year

I remember my first year as a teacher trying to find resources that did not center around the Chinese New Year. I wanted to teach many Lunar New Year traditions. Most resources available only discuss Lunar New Year in the context of China and the Chinese New Year. Teaching Chinese New Year as a monolithic holiday without the nuances of the holiday creates a false narrative that Asia is a monolithic place.

The New Year traditions of China dominate the resources available to teachers, and this has several negative effects.

1. It creates a lack of awareness about the depth of cultural diversity in East and Southeast Asia. By oversimplifying Lunar New Year traditions, the traditions of other cultures like Tết in Vietnam or Losar in Tibet are left out. The diaspora of people from Asia around the world has made the Lunar New Year a holiday that is celebrated globally.
2. Teaching the Lunar New Year as a monolithic holiday reinforces stereotypes and misunderstandings about Asia as a monolithic place or a monolithic culture. There are numerous celebrations of the Lunar New Year all with their own histories and cultural traditions. Tibet, Vietnam, Mongolia, South Korea, North Korea, and several other countries celebrate the Lunar New Year. They may share some things in common, but the traditions are unique to each culture.
3. Too often, students learn about the same countries over and over again. The countries that students learn about are usually economic powerhouses, and while that is important for understanding the development of the world, students leave school with poor geographic and cultural literacy. By broadening your lessons to include other countries, students will have a more informed and accurate worldview.

Asia is the largest continent with incredible cultural diversity. By spending time learning about the many histories and traditions of each distinct country and culture, we begin to undo the harmful stereotypes that we unknowingly reinforce by solely teaching about Chinese New Year as a representation of all Lunar New Year celebrations, when they are in fact very different.

Four Traditions to Teach Besides Chinese New Year

1. Tết in Vietnam

In Vietnam, Tết is a celebration and reflection of the past year. Tết is short for Tết Nguyen Dan meaning “Feast of the very First Morning” in Vietnamese. It marks the first day of spring and is the most important holiday in the country. Like most other celebrations, Tết lasts for seven to nine days. It is a chance for a fresh start to begin the year.

2. Tsagaan Sar in Mongolia

Mongolia’s New Year is called Tsagaan Sar (Sy-gon Sar) which means White Moon Festival. It falls on the first new moon after the winter solstice, which is usually in February. It is one of the most important holidays in Mongolia. The holiday began in 1206 as a day to honor peace, kindness, and respect among Mongols.

3. Chunjie in China

In China, Lunar New Year is called Chinese New Year or Chunjie (Chun-jee-eh). The festival is around 3,500 years old. People celebrate the Lunar New Year with parades, fireworks, and feasts with their families. The Lantern Festival is 15 days later on the first full moon. Cities are decorated in red, the color of good luck.

4. Losar in Tibet

Losar is celebrated in Tibet, which is older than Buddhism. It was once a spiritual ceremony that later became a festival for Buddhist farmers when the flowers began to blossom. Over time, Losar became a Buddhist holiday that follows the lunar calendar. Losar lasts for three days.

How to Teach a Balanced Lunar New Year Lesson

Our Lunar New Year Lesson goes in-depth into the Lunar New Year traditions in China, Mongolia, South Korea, Tibet, and Vietnam. Purchase here or on Teachers Pay Teachers. The lesson plan is all-inclusive with informational texts, fun activities, and an engaging red envelope craft. Celebrate Lunar New Year traditions in cultures across Asia to give your students the cultural literacy they need to thrive in a global world.