The Villa Park Lunar New Year Celebration will take place on Saturday, February 11, 2023 from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. at the Villa Park Town Center. Visitors can enjoy a free festive event with a photo booth with props, red envelopes with surprises and student performances.
Lunar New Year will be observed beginning Saturday, February 10, 2024 and ends on Saturday, February 24, 2023.
Villa Park Lunar New Year Celebration
Where: Villa Park Town Center
Date & Time
Saturday, February 11, 2023 | 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Here is a huge list of Orange County Lunar New Year Events celebrating Lunar New Year.
What is Lunar New Year?
Lunar New Year is a major holiday in many Asian countries that celebrates the beginning of a new lunar calendar year. The holiday typically lasts for 15 to 16 days, and the exact date of Lunar New Year varies from year to year, but it usually falls between January 21 and February 20.
The Lunar New Year is traditionally celebrated in Asian countries such as China, Vietnam, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Philippines, and Indonesia and is also celebrated by many Asian overseas communities.
Lunar New Year is also now a state holiday in California which recognizes the diversity and cultural significance Asian Americans bring to California and provides an opportunity for all Californians to participate in the significance of the Lunar New Year.
In China, it’s the Year of the Rabbit and popular traditions include handing out red envelopes, lighting lanterns and setting off firecrackers. However, the Lunar New Year is celebrated differently in many other Asian countries.
In Vietnam the Lunar New Year is known as Tết (Tết Nguyên Đán) and falls on the same day as the Chinese New Year. Additionally, according to the Vietnamese Zodiac it’s also the Year of the Cat. China and Vietnam share 10 of the zodiac calendar’s 12 signs except Vietnam replaces the rabbit with the cat and the ox with the buffalo. Thus, 2023 is the Year of the Cat in Vietnam and to the largest Vietnamese community in the U.S., located right here in Orange County.
In Korea, Lunar New Year is known as Seollal and some popular traditions include eating traditional Korean foods, younger generations bowing to show respect to their elders and playing traditional games.