Celebrate Lunar New Year with the Free Library

By Megan J. RSS Tue, February 6, 2024

Lunar New Year is celebrated in some parts of Asia, and is important to many Asian immigrants and communities around the world. Lunar New Year is called Chūnjié (Spring Festival) in China and Taiwan, Seollal in Korea, and Tết in Vietnam. This year, the Lunar New Year is celebrated on Saturday, February 10, and 2024 is the Year of the Dragon.

Usher in the new year with these suggested books and upcoming Lunar New Year events at a Free Library location near you!

 

Happy Chinese New Year!: A Festive Counting Story by Jannie Ho

Count to 12 with the zodiac animals as they get ready to celebrate Chinese New Year! Sweet, colorful illustrations introduce each of the zodiac animals as they bring special items to the celebration.

Boys Don't Fry by Kimberly Lee

In Boys Don't Fry, a young Malaysian boy enthusiastically assists his grandmother prepare their Lunar New Year dinner, all the while learning about the history of their traditional cuisine.

Mindy Kim and the Lunar New Year Parade by Lyla Lee

Mindy is excited to go to the Lunar New Year parade in her new town with her father and her friend Sally.

Friends are Friends, Forever by Dane Liu

Just before Chinese New Year, Dandan discovers that her family is moving to America, far away from her best friend Yueyue; before they leave Yueyue gives her a stack of red paper and a spool of string so she can share the art of paper cutting with Americans — and when Chinese New Year comes around again Dandan remembers Yueyue's gift and introduces her new friend Christina to this ancient art.

Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang

Val is ready to give up on love. It's led to nothing but secrets and heartbreak, and she's pretty sure she's cursed — no one in her family, for generations, has ever had any luck with love. But then a chance encounter with a pair of cute lion dancers sparks something in Val. Is it real love? Could this be her chance to break the family curse? Or is she destined to live with a broken heart forever?

Mooncakes and Milk Bread: Sweet & Savory Recipes Inspired by Chinese Bakeries by Kristina Cho

Mooncakes and Milk Bread takes you on a culinary adventure through the world of Chinese bakeries, as architect-turned-food blogger Kristina Cho introduces everyone to her unique twists on traditional Chinese baked goods.

Daughters of the New Year: A Novel by E. M. Tran

What does the future hold for those born in the years of the Dragon, Tiger, and Goat? In present-day New Orleans, Xuan Trung, a former beauty queen-turned-refugee after the Fall of Saigon, is obsessed with divining her daughters' fates through their Vietnamese zodiac signs. As the three sisters begin to encounter strange glimpses of long-buried secrets from the ancestors they never knew, the story of the Trung women unfurls to reveal the dramatic events that brought them to America.

Be sure to check out a Lunar New Year program at a library near you. 

 

Lunar New Year Celebration  at Independence Library
Monday, February 12, 2024 at 4 p.m.
Happy Lunar New Year! It’s the year of the dragon! Celebrate the holiday with activities for kids of all ages, including storytime, playtime, and fun crafts. Everyone takes home a goodie bag!

 

Lunar New Year Celebration  at Walnut Street West Library
Saturday, February 17, 2024 at 2:30 p.m.
Come celebrate the Year of the Dragon! Enjoy a performance by the incredible Penn Lions, the University of Pennsylvania's Premier Traditional Chinese Lion Dance Troupe, and participate in other Year of the Dragon activities. Fun for children, families and all ages! (Year of Dragon activities are geared towards ages 8 and under. Children under 7 must be accompanied by a caregiver.)

 

Lunar New Year Celebration at the Music Department in Parkway Central Library
Saturday, February 24, 2024 1 p.m.
Experience an afternoon filled with captivating Asian music, mesmerizing dance performances, Japanese Taiko drumming demonstrations, a cultural fashion show, and more. All are invited to join us in celebrating the Lantern Festival, a cherished traditional family reunion, at the library. Enjoy folk music, Chinese opera, and dances spanning multiple historical dynasties. (There will be a children's Lion Dance in the lobby at 12:30 before we move into the Auditorium.)


Happy Lunar New Year from the Free Library! Find a library near you.


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