Your Guide to a Healthy and Lucky Lunar New Year

By: Candice Vossler RDN, Owner of Thymeless Nutrition

The Lunar New Year is based on the lunar calendar according to the moon’s cycles so the 2022 Lunar New Year starts February 1, 2022 and ends January 21, 2023. Each year is designated an animal in the Chinese Zodiac. 2022 is the year of the Tiger.

Many East Asian countries celebrate the Lunar New Year in addition to the January 1st New Year. The holiday was thought to have originated 3500 years ago during the Shang Dynasty in China. Back then it was celebrated by making offerings to ancestors and the gods.

Today, the holiday is a time for families and friends to gather and share a special meal together. Each family celebrates the Lunar New Year in their own way. While some families still observe traditional practices, others have adopted modernized practices or a version of both. Some traditional practices are deep cleaning the house, elders giving money in red envelopes to children, and setting off firecrackers.

Lunar New Year Food

Lunar New Year foods are eaten specifically because of their symbolism and meaning with the hope that you will have a lucky, sweet, and wealthy new year.  Here are some examples of lunar new year foods.   

1. Long noodles which represent long life.
2. Sweet rice balls that taste like stuffed mochi.
3. Dumplings that resemble the shape of ancient money and which symbolize wealth.
4. Orange/citrus which in Chinese sounds similar to the word for good fortune.
5. Dried Fruit and candy that represents a sweet life.
6. Spring rolls that look like bars of gold which represent wealth.
7. Sweet glutinous rice cake, also known as the New Year Cake.

Healthy Lunar New Year Tips:

• Eat breakfast. Avoid skipping a meal to save your appetite. This makes you more vulnerable to overeating to the point of discomfort.  Also, it is harder to enjoy each food’s unique flavors when you are very hungry. 
• Choose boiled or steamed foods more often than fried foods.
• Give yourself permission to savor and enjoy in moderation the special foods that you only get to eat during the Lunar New Year.
• Food is an expression of love and hospitality. When you’re offered more food than you can eat comfortably, pack food to go so as to not offend your host.
• Is your celebration usually centered around eating? Start a new tradition.  Take a family walk to watch the local lion dance or parade.  Make red envelope origami fish with the kids to decorate your home.
• Finish your meal with citrus like tangerines, oranges, or pomelos. Bring citrus when you visit loved ones during the Lunar New Year. 

Wishing you a healthy, happy, and lucky Lunar New Year!

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Sources:

1. History.com Editors. “Lunar New Year 2022.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 4 Feb. 2010, https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/chinese-new-year.
2. Vincenty, Samantha. “11 Traditional Lunar New Year Foods to Eat in 2021.” Oprah Daily, Oprah Daily, 5 Apr. 2021, https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/g34895835/traditional-lunar-new-year-foods/.