Tuesday, February 5, marked the first day of the Spring Festival and the beginning of the Chinese New Year a holiday celebrated in East Asian and by Asian-Americans around the world. Children receive “lucky money” in bright red envelopes from parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles as they feast on dumplings with family and friends. Melanie Tran-Duong, ‘21, usually spends the holiday with family.

“To me, Chinese New Year is super fun and a way to connect with my family more through food and traditional games,” said Tran-Duong.

February 11 is the day of the Day of the Human, (人日—rén rì). It marks the seventh day on the Lunar Calendar, the day Nu Wa created humans according to Chinese mythology.

Like Tran-Duong, many Asians travel across land, sea, and sky to be with family. About 6.5 million Chinese travel home for the holiday each year and airports everywhere from Singapore to Korea are packed leading up to the holiday. It’s a similar experience to Thanksgiving in America, public transportation and most stores are closed for the holiday. The streets that are usually bustling with urban life are deserted and almost everyone is inside spending time with relatives and loved ones.