Chinese New Year is celebrated by more than one billion people around the world, across most of Asia. This year is the Year of the Ox. A festival is held each year that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar.

 The Chinese New Year is celebrated similarly to how New Year’s Eve is celebrated. It’s tradition to put up decorations, have a big meal with family and friends, light firecrackers and fireworks, then give red envelopes and other gifts to each other. 

Kelly Heinen, a freshman, celebrates this event every year with the rest of his family, sometimes traveling to different places to spend time with relatives there.

“It’s like a smaller version of a birthday-Christmas mix,” said Heinen.

Like New Year’s Eve, people who celebrate Chinese New Year stay up late with each other, watching shows as a family or lighting off fireworks. Overall, bonding with each other and celebrating the start of a new year.

“We don’t do it as much in Texas, but we would light off fireworks as many times as we can,” said Heinen.

The tradition does not only exist in China and other parts of Asia like Vietnam and Korea. In Texas, Chinese-oriented restaurants hold Chinese New Year celebrations, offering meals, special offerings and performances.

“Sometimes my family and I go to a restaurant and have some of the traditional meals while being together,” said Heinen.

The food remains traditional as well. Chinese New Year traditions offer a vast array of food choices. Including, but not limited to, any type of fish, chinese dumplings, spring rolls, noodles and rice.

“We have this food pretty much every year. I’m not complaining, though. It’s pretty good,” said Heinen.