Q&A with Ducchi Quan about Chinese New Year

Q: What are some Chinese New Year traditions that you and your family do?

 

A: As an adult I don’t engage in as many activities that reflect the Chinese New Year ethos as I did as a child; these days we would focus on sharing a good meal with family and handing out “lucky” money to our children and younger, unmarried relatives – so my 29 year old nephew would get some money, but his married younger brother would not. When I was younger we would also gamble for money (only inside the home!), light firecrackers (inside the home – to chase away negative spirits), and not clean for at least 3 days after New Year (so as to not sweep away the luck).

 

Q: What do you like the most about this holiday? 

 

A: What I like most is the focus on family that undergirds the traditions of this holiday. One thing we do is light incense and place them on a shrine in the home – the incense sticks are similar to prayer votive candles in some Catholic traditions. I do this to think about, and express gratitude to my loved ones who have passed. Ancestor veneration is a central part of this holiday for me – you appreciate your family history and know where you come from, understand all the folks who help make you who you are today, and gain some peace in knowing that you’ll take them with you on your personal travels over the next year.

 

Q: What are some foods you’d eat on this holiday?

 

A: For the family meal we always serve tasty items that have a parallel auspicious meaning – there has to be a noodle dish, as unbroken noodles represent a long life; fish, preferably a whole one, is common as it would represent having plenty. Other foods I would eat over this holiday period include roasted watermelon seeds as a snack (like you would eat roasted sunflower seeds), and Banh Trung, which is a savory sticky rice, mung bean and meat dish – it is like a tamale, except 50 times in volume.

 

Q: Would you recommend these traditions and foods to other people who celebrate Chinese Year?

 

A: I’m a big believer in trying all the foods! My traditions come from a Chinese/Vietnamese foundation of celebrating Lunar New Year, but other cultures celebrate this time period as well. Korean-American Lunar New Year celebrations would look similar, but not congruent. I also think that taking time to show respect to one’s ancestors and family history is universal across cultures – each time I light some incense sticks I think to myself: ‘I should do this more often.’