Today, February 10, 2024, marks the Lunar New Year in the year 2024. Chinese and Vietnamese residents of Geneva, Switzerland, celebrated their Chinese Lunar New Year at the Geneva International Buddhist Vihara premises this morning.

The auspicious ceremony was led by Most Venerable Tawalama Dhammika Nayaka Thero, Head of the Geneva International Buddhist Vihara, Founder Member of the Geneva Interreligious Platform, and Chief Sanghanaya of Switzerland. Additionally, Venerable Halvitigala Sujatha Thero, Deputy Head of the Geneva International Buddhist Vihara, Switzerland’s Venerable Lakkhano Thero, Laos’ Venerable Weerawardano, along with other Buddhist nuns – Venerable Bhikkhuni Mugin, Venerable Bhikkhuni Shantha, Venerable Bhikkhuni Manasa – and devotees from Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Sri Lankan backgrounds participated in the event.

The Lunar New Year, a significant celebration in Asian culture, signifies the start of the new calendar year with family gatherings and a day of rest. Also known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, it is observed by millions worldwide.

The Lunar New Year commences on February 10, 2024, and culminates with the Lantern Festival on February 24, 2024. Families gather for festivities spanning several days across numerous countries, including China, North and South Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, and Vietnam, as well as within diaspora communities globally.

During this period, families and friends unite to enjoy traditional foods and honor their ancestors. Many communities celebrate with fireworks or parades featuring colorful dragons or lions. The exchange of gifts, including traditional money-filled hong bao or “red envelopes,” is customary. The festivities span 15 days, concluding on the night of the next full moon, scheduled for February 24, 2024, this year.

Chinese New Year commemorates the beginning of a new year in the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar. Symbolizing the end of winter and the onset of spring, observances traditionally span from Chinese New Year’s Eve, the evening before the first day of the year, to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day.

Chinese New Year holds profound cultural significance and has influenced similar celebrations in other cultures, collectively known as Lunar New Year. These include Tibet’s Losar, Vietnam’s Tết, Korea’s New Year, and Ryukyu’s New Year. It is celebrated worldwide, especially in regions with significant Overseas Chinese or Sinophone populations, such as Southeast Asia, Australia, Canada, Mauritius, New Zealand, Peru, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, and various European countries.

The festival is steeped in myths and customs, traditionally serving as a time to honor deities and ancestors. Regional customs within China vary widely, with the evening preceding New Year’s Day being a time for family reunions and annual reunion dinners. Cleaning the house to sweep away ill fortune and welcome good luck is customary, as is decorating windows and doors with red paper-cuts and couplets bearing themes of good fortune, wealth, and longevity. Activities like lighting firecrackers and giving money in red envelopes are also commonplace.

Buddhika Sanjeewa
Founder / Chairman / Chief Editor of Chanxin / Bhikkhunis / Mettavalokanaya International Buddhist Magazines & Websites – Sri Lanka.