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Lunar New Year Celebrations in Portland
Portlanders celebrate the Lunar New Year with traditional dances, lantern ceremonies and stunning performances.
Dmae Roberts
The Lunar New Year marks the first day of the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar, which typically falls in late January or early February. Several East and Southeast Asian countries mark Lunar New Year with an array of cultural events and activities, but you don’t need to fly halfway around the world to join the celebration.
Read on to learn more about the annual Lunar New Year celebrations in Portland, all of which are open to the public.
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year is traditionally a 15-day celebration that includes wearing the lucky color red, paying respects to ancestors and cleaning the house to drive away bad luck. Festive menus feature foods like dumplings, cakes and long noodles for long life. Other traditions include lucky papers with good wishes, money-stuffed red envelopes and firecrackers to frighten off the mythical Nian.
Chinese New Year at Lan Su Garden
Portland’s Lan Su Chinese Garden offers a two-week celebration of the Chinese New Year. The fun includes lion dances, family crafts, Chinese folk art, calligraphy, martial arts performances and a Chinese wishing tree. On the first day of the festival, every visitor receives a lucky hong bao (red envelope) as part of the traditional event.
Chinese New Year Lantern Viewing
Inspired by the Lantern Festival, or Yuan Xian Jie, as part of Chinese New Year traditions, Portland’s Lan Su Chinese Garden welcomes in the new year with the traditional Chinese New Year Lantern Viewing. Each of the various types of Chinese lanterns comes with its own set of meanings, but generally speaking, all of the lanterns signify a wish for a better and brighter future.
Chinese New Year Lion Dance
Beginning in China over 2,000 years ago, the Lion Dance is a traditional dance performed to ward off evil and bring good fortune. Chinese New Year Opening Day starts with a traditional Lion Dance performance held at the garden entrance. See other performances of the Chinese New Year Lion Dance throughout the festival.
Lunar New Year Celebrations
The Chinese Friendship Association of Portland (CFAP) commemorates the new year with a yearly Lunar New Year Celebration. Bringing together multiple Asian communities to the Keller Auditorium, this celebration includes stunning performances by acrobatics, professional singing stars and ballet performances. With calligraphy exhibits, craft workshops and art & craft activities the whole family will enjoy welcoming in The Year of the Tiger.
The annual Lunar New Year Celebration at the Washington Square Mall honors the tradition of the Wishing Tree. Shoppers are invited to make a wish on a red ribbon and toss it at the wishing tree in hopes that it will stick and their wish will come true in the coming year. The day-long celebration includes performances like traditional dances, Chinese Folktale storytelling, musical performances and puppet shows
Cultural Spotlight
Chinese Attractions in Portland’s Old Town Chinatown
Explore local history at the Portland Chinatown Museum before visiting other neighborhood mainstays.
Jade District
This Southeast Portland neighborhood is a bustling cultural hub, home to a population largely composed of immigrants and people of color. Eat and explore in one of the city's most diverse communities.
Chinese American Community
Connect with the city's historic and vital Chinese American community.
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