OGDEN — Brace yourselves for the year of the dragon.
Saturday marks the Lunar New Year, also recognized as the Chinese New Year, signaling the commencement of the year of the dragon and bidding farewell to the year of the rabbit, as per the 12-year Chinese zodiac calendar.
"It's highly significant in China. It's the grandest holiday," stated Yu Li Lin, head of the Utah Chinese New Year Celebration Committee, which recently hosted its annual celebration event on Feb. 3. In China, festivities including family reunions typically span 15 days.
"It's akin to American Christmas," remarked Emily Khet, who hails from Thai descent and is employed at Ocean Mart in Ogden, an Asian market.
Celebrations in the United States may not extend as long as the 15-day holiday in China. However, despite the conclusion of the Utah Chinese New Year Celebration Committee program, there are various activities happening across the Wasatch Front. Here are some of them:
- The Utah Chinese Association is organizing a Lunar New Year celebration on Saturday, from 11 a.m. until approximately 5 p.m., at the Salt Lake County South Building, 2001 S. State in Salt Lake City.
- We Geek Together, The Nerdy Wolf, and Drawn to Dragons are collaborating to host Lunar New Year activities on Friday from 3-9 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. at Provo Towne Center, 1200 Towne Center Blvd. in Provo.
- Ocean Mart locations in Ogden and Sandy are hosting public events on Saturday. At Ocean Mart in Ogden, festivities at the locale at 1018 Washington Blvd. commence at noon until around 7 p.m., concluding with a planned fireworks display. Meanwhile, activities at Ocean Mart in Sandy, located at 115 W. 9000 South, begin at 1 p.m., featuring a lion dance, a Lunar New Year tradition, scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Ogden store.
Lin emphasized that the Lunar New Year is a time for families to reunite. The dragon, she explained, symbolizes good fortune and prosperity.
Harris Nydegger of Ocean Mart reminisces about the celebrations during his time in Taiwan. Commercial activities would typically slow down for the 15 days of New Year festivities.
According to the Smithsonian Museum of Asian Art website, the Lunar New Year signifies the arrival of spring.
"It is the most significant holiday in China, and it is also widely celebrated in South Korea, Vietnam, and countries with a substantial overseas Chinese population," reads the Smithsonian website. "At home, families decorate windows with red paper cuttings and adorn doors with couplets expressing auspicious wishes for the new year."
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