Many adoptive families choose to celebrate the heritage of their children’s birth country. China, Korea and Vietnam account for large numbers of international adoptions. Those countries, along with Japan and others, celebrate Lunar New Year. This date fluctuates every year but always occurs in late January or in February at the time of the new moon.
Some customs common in China include cleaning the house on New Year’s Eve, wearing new clothes New Year’s Day, giving children money in red envelopes (red is the color of good luck), firecrackers and fireworks shows, and parades featuring dragons and the lion dance.
In Korea, people make a soup with dumplings called mandu. After drinking this soup, people count themselves another year older. (The only actual birthdays celebrated in Korea are one’s first birthday and one’s sixtieth.) Children bow to their elders and receive money. Kites are flown (in former times, there were “fighting kite” competitions in which glass shards were on the kite strings and one kite attempted to cut another down). Families often play the board game yut (a little bit similar to Parcheesi; instead of dice small sticks are thrown which are decorated on one side. A space is moved for every stick that lands decorated side up.)
In Vietnam the New Year’s holiday is called Tet. In our city this year, the Vietnamese community is celebrating with a festival of music and dance and an “Honoring our Educators” event which features academic competitions such as spelling bees and knowledge bowls.
Many communities host New Year celebrations which are open to the public and feature dancing and parades, and sometimes educational displays about the culture.
Adoptive parent groups also host celebrations. The Korean Identity Development Society (KIDS) in Seattle hosts an annual New Year’s dinner which usually features performers from Korea. Elders from a Korean-American senior center pass out dollar bills to the children (after drilling them in proper bowing technique, of course).
New Year’s events often take place throughout January and February. Check your local newspaper, or see this blog:
Seasonal Travel–Where To Celebrate Chinese New Year
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