How to celebrate Chinese New Year far far away from home?

For many of us Chinese New Year is just a date on the calendar. For Tai Lun and Shuhan it’s much more, especially now they are far away from home.

In Taiwan, the Lunar New Year is the most significant holiday of the year, like Christmas in the Netherlands. ‘In Taiwan we usually have seven to ten days off around New Year. ‘It’s a time to rest, gather with family, and enjoy delicious food every day’, says Tai Lun Hsieh, who currently is pursuing a master’s degree in Fine Arts at the Frank Mohr Institute. When she was still working in Taipei, New Year was a valuable opportunity to reunite with family in her hometown of Taitung. (The two cities ar 300 kilometres apart).

‘Sometimes, relatives come to my grandpa’s house, I see them only during New Year’

Chinese Shuhan Liu, who is a master student in Fine Arts as well, also talks about reunions with family. ‘Usually, I spend the first day of Chinese New Year with my mom, the second day at my grandma’s house, and the third day at my grandpa’s. Sometimes, relatives come to my grandpa’s house. I saw them only during New Year.’

Food plays a leading role during the New Year holidays. Tai Lun’s family prepares dishes like braised pork, fried fish, and radish cake. Shuhan’s includes dumplings and other symbolic dishes. Tai Lun: ‘The New Year’s Eve table is meant to be as lavish as possible. So you can see every family showcasing their culinary skills and creativity, which is quite amusing. Our dining table typically features soup and seven or eight dishes, such as a platter of sausages, braised pork, fried fish, radish cake, various stir-fried vegetables, and pork or chicken soup.’

It’s a great opportunity to sit down, talk with friends and put love and care into the dumplings

There’s no fixed menu in Taiwan. Families pay attention to the symbolic meaning of the food. Fish symbolises abundance. Radish symbolises good omens and fortune.
‘In northern China we always make dumplings’, Shuhan says. ‘It’s usually a family event, with children and adults helping out. I still make dumplings, on my own or with friends. It is a great opportunity to sit down and talk with friends, put love and care into the dumplings, and then swallow all words in the stomach to warm each other’s bodies at the end.’

Red envelopes symbolize blessings and good luck, the money inside is related to good fortune

The celebrations also bring unique rituals. Tai Lun mentions the tradition of giving and receiving red envelopes, known as hongbao. ‘On New Year’s Eve, children who work give red envelopes to their parents to thank them for their hard work and nurturing’, says Tai Lun. ‘My parents also give red envelopes to us. Red envelopes symbolize blessings and good luck, and the money inside is related to good fortune. As even numbers are believed to bring good luck, Taiwanese only use even numbers for the hangbao notes and coins.’

Red is everywhere during the holiday. ‘Red decorations, red clothing, and even red ashes from the firecrackers we light’, Shuhan says. Even the ashes signify good omen. ‘When I was a kid, I could always make friends with random people for a day just because of the firecrackers.’

Last year, Shuhan was invited to a stranger’s house for New Year’s Eve dinner

This year marks Tai Lun’s first Lunar New Year away from Taiwan. Far from home, she’s finding ways to maintain the holiday spirit. ‘I’m fortunate to have Taiwanese friends here’, she says. ‘I’ll join their New Year’s Eve dinner and invite other friends in Groningen to cook and celebrate together.’
Last year, Shuhan was invited to a stranger’s house for New Year’s Eve dinner. ‘She found out online that I didn’t have plans and welcomed me. Sharing the same culture instantly connects us, even as strangers. We became close friends afterwards.’ This year, Shuhan plans to celebrate with the staff at the restaurant where she works part-time.

‘Chinese New Year often overlaps with exams, and academic responsibilities take over’

Tai Lun and Shuhan face some challenges during the preparations for this year’s New Year (from January 29 till February 12). Finding ingredients isn’t easy. The same goes for explaining their traditions to friends unfamiliar with the holiday. Of course, they have to find a way to combine the festivities with the normal course of events in Groningen. For Shuhan, balancing school and cultural traditions can be tricky. ‘Chinese New Year often overlaps with exams, and academic responsibilities take over. It’s easy to lose enthusiasm.’
Homesickness is another challenge. ‘When my family called, they were gathered in the same space. I could feel their anticipation for the New Year and was just as happy and excited as they were. After I had hung up, I felt very cut off.’

‘Hanze could have put up simple decorations, it doesn’t cost much, but it shows they care’

Tai Lun highlights the difficulty of describing traditions to those who don’t share the cultural background. ‘Many of the traditional customs are connected to language. These can be quite difficult to explain to classmates from different countries’, Tai Lun says. Shuhan: ‘It’s natural for people to need time to understand other cultures. I don’t mind as long as the other person is kind.’

They believe universities can help bridge these gaps. ‘Cultural exchange events or spaces for students of the same nationality to connect would be great’, says Tai Lun. Shuhan also believes small gestures could make a difference for international students. ‘It would have felt more welcoming if Hanze had put up simple decorations. It doesn’t cost much, but it shows they care.’

For those celebrating the Lunar New Year far from home, both students emphasise the importance of connection. ‘Find friends who share your culture’, says Tai Lun. ‘Cooking familiar dishes or speaking your language can create a sense of belonging.’

Photo: Fine Arts students Tai Lun (at the left) and Shuhan (right)