Highlights:
- Lunar New Year 2022 falls on Tuesday, February 1st, 2022, and celebrations culminate with the Lantern Festival on February 15th, 2022.
- Lunar New Year marks the transition between zodiac signs: 2022 is the year of the Tiger; 2021 the year of the Ox.
Happy New Year!
Tuesday, February 1, 2022 marks the beginning of Chinese New Year celebration – also known as the Lunar New Year, as it is celebrated in Korea and Vietnam as well. It’s a time for family and friends to reunite after a busy year, with many people visiting their hometowns and seeing loved ones.. In China, you’ll also hear the holiday being referred to as Chunjie (春节), or the Spring Festival. While early February may still be very wintry, the holiday is meant to mark the end of the very coldest days. People welcome spring and everything it brings: planting, new beginnings and fresh starts.
How it’s celebrated.
There are 56 ethnic groups in China alone, and each ethnic group has different customs and ways of celebrating – which would make a complete list of traditions too long to post here. In general, people write and share couplets, prepare their favorite foods, share New Year gifts like red envelopes and new clothes. We checked in with our offices in China and North America to see how our teams are recognizing The Year of The Tiger.
RingCentral China goes big.
Lunar New Year is as big in Asia as Christmas is in North America and Europe. Think: really big. Which means RingCentral China’s Annual Chinese New Year party is a huge deal. Obviously, the pandemic limits in-person gathering, but it doesn’t limit creativity. The team was able to
host the event in hybrid mode, allowing everyone to participate safely, comfortably, and without geographic limitation. The result? An instant classic. From Xiamen to Hangzhou to Hong Kong to wherever remote employees happen to be, the New Year’s bash was a blast. But don’t take our word for it:
Stateside Celebration
Back in the States, the celebrations might not be quite as big (although they’re grow
ing every year,) but they’re just as meaningful. RingCentral’s Pan-Asian Network Employee Resource Group (PAN,) is a diverse group—filled with members who bring along customs and traditions of their own. Lunar New Year gives the group – and the employee community at large – a chance to experience one another’s traditions, foster growth and understanding and celebrate together.
For Global Lease Administration Manager and PAN member Irene Luong, Lunar New Year is an important family event. “My favorite part is greeting family members with wishes of luck, happiness, prosperity, health, and wealth. Then, being able to sit down with them and enjoy a traditional Lunar New Year’s meal, followed with fun & games and of course, the red envelope exchanges.”
New year, new space
With the amount of time we’re all spending at home these days, there’s never been a better time to learn the ancient art of Feng Shui. So we’re grateful to our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Team for hosting a special Feng Shui training session on February 1st at 10 AM PST.
The new year is a perfect opportunity to adopt ancient practices meant to bring peace, harmony, and good fortune.
New year, new snack
The new year is also a perfect opportunity to eat. For PAN’s Jennifer Caukin, it’s a central element of the celebration.
“My family tradition is lots of food and red envelopes. We’ll typically choose a fancy Chinese restaurant and have a nice big banquet. My favorite is tea-smoked duck, (a Shanghai-style tradition) sandwiched between soft buns, and chow mein noodles. It’s a lot of fun and a time of family reconnection.”
OK, now we’re hungry. But, if you’d like to join PAN – it’s open to all, you’ll be entered for a chance to win at-home delivery of some of the best Asian food in America – from Goldbelly.com.
New year, new insights
Ever had your fortune told? Ever wanted to? DEI can make it happen. Join PAN to be entered into our prize drawing to kick off the Year of the Tiger with insight – in a private, 1:1 fortune telling session, led by Golden Dragon Fortunes in San Francisco, CA.
Get in on this.
You’ve heard us say how important diversity is to our culture, our financial success and our growth. But it’s also pretty great for our social lives. If you haven’t participated in a Lunar New Year celebration, you’re missing a party. Food. GIfts. More food. Fun. Some more food. And those red envelopes…definitely worth checking out. Happy New Year!
Learn more about Lunar New Year and the Year of the Tiger.
#YearOfTheTiger
#LunarNewYear
Originally published Jan 31, 2022, updated Feb 01, 2022
