Richardson’s 2025 Chinese New Year Celebration

By Janelle Teng of Jeng Chi restaurant

Photo Credit: RD Images

Chinese New Year is also known as the Lunar New Year because the date of the celebration follows the lunar calendar. The origin of Chinese New Year celebrations can be dated as far back as 3,500 years. In addition to Chinese, many Asian cultures celebrate the Lunar New Year, including Vietnamese, Malaysian, Taiwanese, Korean, and more. The holiday is steeped in tradition and symbolism. Traditional lucky foods are included in banquet meals. Dumplings resemble Chinese ingot, representing wealth and prosperity. In Mandarin the word fish sounds like ‘surplus.’ Preparing the whole fish and leaving some on the plate symbolizes having a surplus every year. The sweet rice balls, tang yuan, signify family togetherness. Vegetables such as lettuce and bok choy can symbolize wealth and luck. Fruit such as tangerines, oranges or mandarins, which are golden in color, symbolize fullness and wealth. Chinese New Year festivities traditionally include a Lion Dance or Dragon Dancing. The Lion is regarded as an auspicious animal and will dance to chase away the evil spirit. The Lion costume is often donned by two individuals with dance and acrobatic skills. A dragon dance is a large team that maneuvers a long puppet like dragon aloft. Long dragons are believed to bring good luck to the community. Enjoy these beautiful images from our recent Chinese New Year celebration at Jeng Chi and in Richardson’s Chinatown

Francisco & Janelle Teng with Johnny Lee at Jeng Chi CNY celebration