Ushering in the Year of the Golden Rat

This year, 2020, is the “Year of the Golden Rat” and an exceptionally significant event as we return to the first sign of the Lunar Zodiac cycle! We are going to introduce some interesting Lunar New Year customs from several nations to our splendid viewers today. Around the world, more than a billion people celebrate the Lunar New Year and participate in various vibrant festivities. Within Korea itself, millions of people travel to be with family during this special time called Seollal or Korean Lunar New Year. Also, the breakfast on Lunar New Year day is traditionally rice cake soup or tteokguk. The act of eating this soup signifies that one is now a year older. What are some of the Lunar New Year traditions observed in China? People will put up spring couplets written on red paper inside and outside the home and conduct a thorough house cleanup, which represents replacing the old with the new. Also, after the meal, everyone comes together to usher in the New Year which also includes bidding farewell to the current year. This is a moment of cherishing the present time and welcoming the hopeful new year. It is called Tết and celebrated for an entire week! A notable tradition of the Aulacese or Vietnamese people is to thoroughly clean and then furnish their homes with all sorts of special decorations in anticipation of the most important annual event in Aulacese or Vietnamese culture.