Whitney Potter: The Year of the Horse

 

Happy Lunar New Year - the Year of the Horse

Lunar New Year traditions focus on family reunion, good fortune, and warding off evil, featuring red decorations, firecrackers, lion/dragon dances, ancestor offerings, and reunion dinners with symbolic foods, plus giving red envelopes (hongbao) filled with money, all culminating in the Lantern Festival. 

Key rituals involve thorough house cleaning before the New Year to sweep away bad luck, followed by avoiding cleaning for the first few days to keep good fortune in.