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6 Unique Lunar New Year Traditions

Jan 23, 2025
4 Minutes

Lunar New Year is often associated with giving out red envelopes or angpao. Typically, older family members hand these envelopes to younger or unmarried relatives.

But beyond this, there are many other unique and meaningful Lunar New Year traditions! These customs can vary widely across different regions. Are you curious about the variety of traditions celebrated during the Lunar New Year? Let’s dive in and explore together!

Communal Bathing at Seven-Well Spring, Depok
In Depok, West Java, many Chinese-Indonesian locals visit the Gayatri Temple during the Lunar New Year. Here, people participate in communal bathing at the seven wells on the temple grounds. These wells are believed to possess powers to attract good fortune, love, and even health.

Water Fight, Riau
Moving on to Riau, you’ll find an exciting and lively water fight tradition for the Lunar New Year, known locally as Ciancui. Crowds gather in the streets to partake in this water fight, marking the start of the New Year. This tradition resembles the Songkran festival in Thailand.

Grebeg Sudiro, Solo
In Solo, Central Java, locals celebrate the Lunar New Year with a Grebeg Sudiro tradition. This event celebrates the cultural fusion of Javanese and Chinese communities. During the festival, there’s a procession where offerings arranged in a mountain shape are carried through Pasar Gede. This custom represents gratitude and joy for the special occasion.

Chinese Culture Week, Jogja
The Chinese Culture Week, held annually in Jogja, celebrates Lunar New Year with various performances, including the puppet show Wayang Poo Tay Hee. The event also features dances, magic shows, music, and barongsai (lion dance) performances, adding to the festive spirit.

Yu Sheng Celebration
No Lunar New Year celebration is complete without delicious traditional dishes, and Yu Sheng is a must-have. This dish is a salad-like mix of thinly sliced vegetables topped with fresh fish. Families gather around the table during the Lunar New Year to enjoy Yu Sheng using chopsticks. Everyone lifts their chopsticks high while chanting "lao hei" or "lao qi", which means "respectful greetings".

Barongsai performance
The lion dance, or barong sai, symbolizes happiness in Chinese culture. It is performed to scare away evil spirits, ensuring people’s lives are filled with joy and luck. That’s why lion dances are a beloved Lunar New Year tradition.

Celebrate the Lunar New Year with Permata ME!
Besides following your local customs, you can keep the tradition of giving angpao alive. However, try to avoid amounts that include the number four, as this is considered unlucky in Chinese culture.

To make giving angpao easier, use the WhatsApp Gift feature on the Permata ME mobile banking app. This feature lets you send money to relatives by entering their active WhatsApp number. Plus, you can include a New Year greeting card with your angpao.

Want to add a personal message with your angpao? No problem! The WhatsApp Gift feature also has a short message option, allowing you to add a Lunar New Year greeting of up to 160 characters.

These unique traditions add extra vibrancy to Lunar New Year celebrations, with each region offering its charm. To fully embrace the New Year spirit, you can share angpao with younger or unmarried family members. Use the Permata ME app’s WhatsApp Gift feature for quick and convenient giving, especially when sending to multiple people. So, why wait? Download the Permata ME app on your smartphone today!

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