KAREN KIANG

I have been celebrating Lunar New Year my whole life, thanks to all the hard work my mom puts in to make it special every year! On Lunar New Year’s Eve, we have a big family feast where my mom cooks everything from scratch. The food is my favorite part of the celebration. We embrace the signature red theme of Lunar New Year with dishes like crab, roast pork, and strawberry desserts. We also exchange red envelopes with our neighbors, inviting new friends to join the celebration— sometimes for their very first time.

YULAN CHUNG

Orange County is the best place to be during Lunar New Year. I am a first- generation immigrant and proudly share my culture with our thriving community as the Chief Executive Officer at the South Coast Chinese Cultural Center. We believe that performing arts is a wonderful way to bridge cultures and create multicultural harmony. Our Chinese Folk Dancers, Martial Arts practitioners and Chinese Drum Team will be sharing our rich, cultural traditions with the community this year at The Market Place and Irvine Spectrum Center. We hope you’ll join us!

BRENDON NGUYEN

Being Vietnamese, I’ve celebrated Lunar New Year my whole life. I usually invite friends and family to my house, where we gather to celebrate with good food and drinks. My favorite part of the festivities is seeing all of my loved ones in one place—something we don’t get to do often enough. Our favorite Lunar New Year dish is homemade caramelized and braised pork, a comforting meal that everyone in my family enjoys. On the rare occasion we decide to dine out, we love going to All That Barbecue in Culver Plaza.

JENN TANAKA
Writer, Eater + OC Register | Irvine
One of my first introductions to a Lunar New Year feast was at a potluck back in elementary school. Now, my husband’s aunt hosts a big traditional dinner, and we always bring dessert. I like to bake cookies in mini muffin tins so they look like coins. We also take friends to Little Sister for the bánh xèo — a Vietnamese crepe wrapped in lettuce and garnished with cilantro and Thai basil. We enjoy ordering traditional dishes: the whole fish at Twenty Eight, which symbolizes wholeness, and scallion pancakes at Northern Cafe, to welcome luck and prosperity.

CHRISTINE KONG
Content Creator | Irvine Woodbury Community

Red is the color to wear for Lunar New Year—and it’s also a major trend in fashion for 2025. You can’t go wrong with a classic red sweater or coat, but if that feels too bold, subtle accents like a red scarf or red shoes can make a stylish statement. If you’re attending a Lunar New Year party, it’s the perfect excuse to wear a qipao and showcase traditional attire in a modern, elegant way. To add a touch of good luck, I like to accessorize with bold, gold statement earrings. One thing’s for sure: clothes should be new to symbolize a fresh start for the year. For me, it’s also a way to carry the spirit of the celebration into the rest of the year.