The Metro: Asian Americans celebrate the Lunar New Year throughout metro Detroit
Tied to the lunar calendar, the holiday is one of the most important celebrations of the year among East and Southeast Asian communities.
This Lunar New Year, which began on Feb. 10, is the Year of the Dragon.
The Lunar New Year is celebrated globally from Jan. 21 to Feb. 20. For many Asian Americans, the holiday is about embracing a fresh start.
Tied to the lunar calendar, the holiday is one of the most important celebrations of the year among East and Southeast Asian communities, marking a time to gather with family and friends, honor elders as well as deities, enjoy a bountiful spread of food and wish for a lucky year ahead.
To talk about the Lunar New Year’s significance and how to celebrate in metro Detroit, host Tia Graham was joined on The Metro by Peggy Du and Tau Liu of the Association of Chinese Americans.
Liu says the Lunar New Year — also known as Spring Festival in China — holds immense cultural significance in China.
“As an agricultural civilization, people need to determine what crops to grow for the next year, and this is the time of the year to do so. That’s why we celebrate it,” he said.
More headlines from The Metro on Feb. 14, 2024:
- Tia Graham revisits her interview with Detroit native Curtis Chin about his new memoir, “Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant.”
- In the wake of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer introducing her proposed budget for the coming year — which includes a free two years of community college for high school graduates — host Nick Austin spoke with Celeste Carruthers, a professor of labor economics at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville about the state’s robust community college system.
- James Settimo, a teacher at South Lake High School in St. Clair Shores, spoke with The Metro producer Sam Corey about why his students have been so excited to take AP African American Studies.
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