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What Is Lunar New Year?
Learn how many different Asian communities celebrate Lunar New Year in this book for young readers that reveals why the first new moon of the year is such a culturally significant moment for many countries!
This fact-filled book covers all things Lunar New Year, from the Chinese Zodiac animals to the details of modern celebrations in busy cities like San Francisco, Vancouver, and London. During today's celebrations, children receive money from their elders in red envelopes and people exchange gifts. Some rituals that people do for Lunar New Year include spring cleaning, sweeping away bad luck, and wearing new clothes. Young readers will learn about the Lunar New Year traditions of China, Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Thailand in this book about the beloved holiday.
This fact-filled book covers all things Lunar New Year, from the Chinese Zodiac animals to the details of modern celebrations in busy cities like San Francisco, Vancouver, and London. During today's celebrations, children receive money from their elders in red envelopes and people exchange gifts. Some rituals that people do for Lunar New Year include spring cleaning, sweeping away bad luck, and wearing new clothes. Young readers will learn about the Lunar New Year traditions of China, Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Thailand in this book about the beloved holiday.
- GenresNonfiction
112 pages, Paperback
Published December 2, 2025
6 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 8, 2025
The west follows the Gregorian (solar) calendar and New Year’s Day has always been the same day. Many countries in the far east follow a calendar based on both the solar and the lunar calendar (a pure lunar calendar is 254 days and is adjusted for the seasons). Anyway, the Lunar New Year is the first New Moon after the start of the lunar calendar, which is January 21st. The holiday falls between Jan 21st and Feb 20th every year. Celebrations typically last 15 days. Many large cities with substantial Asian populations are celebrating the holiday, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, NYC, London & Sydney.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2026
Learn about the history of celebrating Lunar New Year and common traditions and mythologies surrounding the celebration in China in in Chinatowns in the US. You’ll also learn about Tet celebrations in Vietnam, Sollal celebrations in Korea, Lunar New Year traditions in the Philippines, and the slightly different lunar new year celebration of Songkran in Thailand.
I’ve lived in Asia for over 2 decades and have read quite a few books on Lunar New Year traditions in several countries. I still learned several things from reading this book. I will say, I would take what this book says with a grain of salt. It does try to remind people that what it mentions are just basic and the most common traditions. I have definitely seen variations on some of them. Also, I have lived in Thailand the longest and I have to say I’ve never seen some of the traditions they mentioned that are associated with Songkran (nor had I heard the horrifying myth associated with it). If you go into reading this remembering that if you asked anyone in the States what Christmas means to them and how they celebrate, you’d get a variety of answers. Similarly, Songkran means different things to different people now, and they celebrate it in different ways. This book portrays some of the textbook items for the celebration, but in reality I’ve just seen people visiting with family, everyone digs out their loud Hawaiian print shirts, you hear Songkran songs in the malls and stores, and you’d be hard-pressed to avoid getting hit with water when you go out. Also, a lot of Thais have Chinese ancestors, and so they also celebrate the Chinese version of Lunar New Year or elements of that holiday too. I’d encourage young readers to read this and then go find someone of Chinese or Vietnamese or Korean or Filippino or Thai heritage and ask them how they celebrate to see how textbook-type information can differ from on the street info.
Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: The Thai myth shared that they say is associated with Songkran involved cutting off someone’s head and then parading with it.
Ethnic diversity: Chinese, Chinese American, Vietnamese, Korean, Thai, Filippino
LGBTQ+ content: None specified
Other: It talks about beliefs in China regarding the Zodiac animals and your luck associated with what year you were born and attributes they believe someone born in that year may possess.
I’ve lived in Asia for over 2 decades and have read quite a few books on Lunar New Year traditions in several countries. I still learned several things from reading this book. I will say, I would take what this book says with a grain of salt. It does try to remind people that what it mentions are just basic and the most common traditions. I have definitely seen variations on some of them. Also, I have lived in Thailand the longest and I have to say I’ve never seen some of the traditions they mentioned that are associated with Songkran (nor had I heard the horrifying myth associated with it). If you go into reading this remembering that if you asked anyone in the States what Christmas means to them and how they celebrate, you’d get a variety of answers. Similarly, Songkran means different things to different people now, and they celebrate it in different ways. This book portrays some of the textbook items for the celebration, but in reality I’ve just seen people visiting with family, everyone digs out their loud Hawaiian print shirts, you hear Songkran songs in the malls and stores, and you’d be hard-pressed to avoid getting hit with water when you go out. Also, a lot of Thais have Chinese ancestors, and so they also celebrate the Chinese version of Lunar New Year or elements of that holiday too. I’d encourage young readers to read this and then go find someone of Chinese or Vietnamese or Korean or Filippino or Thai heritage and ask them how they celebrate to see how textbook-type information can differ from on the street info.
Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: The Thai myth shared that they say is associated with Songkran involved cutting off someone’s head and then parading with it.
Ethnic diversity: Chinese, Chinese American, Vietnamese, Korean, Thai, Filippino
LGBTQ+ content: None specified
Other: It talks about beliefs in China regarding the Zodiac animals and your luck associated with what year you were born and attributes they believe someone born in that year may possess.
February 18, 2026
Lunar year - 354 days per year
Solar calendar - 365 days per year
Lunar new year is the first day of the first Lunar month of the year, varying between January 21 - February 20 each year.
Celebration of coming of spring and payments of farming debts.
Visit the imperial palace, bringing gifts of loyalty to the emperor.
Feasts, dancing, parade, Chinese art, bright lights, lanterns, music,
Rat - charming, creative, ambitious, talkative
Ox - dependable, loyal, honest, logical
Tiger - brave, impulsive, warm, commanding
Rabbit - independent, humble, introverted, calm
Dragon - extroverted, strong, imaginative, decisive
Snake - calm, elegant, intelligent, devious
Horse - cheerful, talkative, independent, competitive
Sheep - caring, selfless, artistic, trusting
Monkey - curious, mischievous, funny, adaptable
Rooster - proud, confident, affectionate, adventurous
Dog - loyal, honest, trusted, active
Pig - forgiving, jolly, hardworking, peaceful
Flowers and fruits represent abundance, long life, and good health. Red and gold connected to wealth and luck.
4 is considered to be an unlucky number. 6 and 8 are considered to be lucky numbers.
Miniature kumquat bushes in ceramic pots are given as gifts, as they symbolize hope, lucky, and longevity.
Solar calendar - 365 days per year
Lunar new year is the first day of the first Lunar month of the year, varying between January 21 - February 20 each year.
Celebration of coming of spring and payments of farming debts.
Visit the imperial palace, bringing gifts of loyalty to the emperor.
Feasts, dancing, parade, Chinese art, bright lights, lanterns, music,
Rat - charming, creative, ambitious, talkative
Ox - dependable, loyal, honest, logical
Tiger - brave, impulsive, warm, commanding
Rabbit - independent, humble, introverted, calm
Dragon - extroverted, strong, imaginative, decisive
Snake - calm, elegant, intelligent, devious
Horse - cheerful, talkative, independent, competitive
Sheep - caring, selfless, artistic, trusting
Monkey - curious, mischievous, funny, adaptable
Rooster - proud, confident, affectionate, adventurous
Dog - loyal, honest, trusted, active
Pig - forgiving, jolly, hardworking, peaceful
Flowers and fruits represent abundance, long life, and good health. Red and gold connected to wealth and luck.
4 is considered to be an unlucky number. 6 and 8 are considered to be lucky numbers.
Miniature kumquat bushes in ceramic pots are given as gifts, as they symbolize hope, lucky, and longevity.
March 14, 2026
3.75
I never really knew about Lunar New year and its origins. I also didn't know it was called different things and celebrated differently depending on which Asian country you were in. I really enjoy these books because they give you enough information to have a beginner's knowledge of the topic, but they also can help children figure out if they're interested enough to seek out more information.
I never really knew about Lunar New year and its origins. I also didn't know it was called different things and celebrated differently depending on which Asian country you were in. I really enjoy these books because they give you enough information to have a beginner's knowledge of the topic, but they also can help children figure out if they're interested enough to seek out more information.
January 5, 2026
Gorgeously illustrated book, telling the story of the lunar new year and how it began to be celebrated in the US. It shows that the LNY is a beautiful time of year where family and friends get together and appreciate not only their own lives, but the lives of those they care for and to honor their ancestors and pray for the new year to come. Filled with great music, beautiful decor and costumes as well as yummy looking food. I appreciated that they showed how different Asian countries celebrated the LNY too and didnt just stick to China, Japan and Korea. I also love how they explained the Chinese zodiac.
5.5
5.5
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews