You know what’s cool about celebrating Lunar New Year in 2026?
It’s that my kids don’t have to hide their cultural traditions or feel weird about them.
When I was a kid, I led a dual life.
I didn’t tell people that I loved watching Chinese dramas with my grandma, or that I had crushes on Hong Kong pop stars.
I didn’t talk about going to Chinese school on Saturdays, the numerous yearly traditional celebrations, or the food we ate at home. (I brought sandwiches to school like everyone else: peanut butter & jelly, or tuna, or bologna.)
There weren’t many Asian kids in my suburban Toronto-area elementary school, and I was uncomfortable whenever anyone who wasn’t Asian brought up my Chinese background.
Experiences like this schoolyard exchange deterred me from sharing:
Kid: Hey, Sonia, are you Chinese?
Me: Yeah
Kid: Oh, I LOVE chicken balls! Don’t you?
Me (confused): I don’t know what that is…?
Kid: You’re not really Chinese if you don’t know what Chinese food is!
Well, if I’m not Chinese, and I’m not really “Canadian” even though I was born in Canada, who am I?
I also remember a school trip to Toronto’s Chinatown where schoolmates thought the meats in the shop windows looked less than appetizing.
A place that seemed so foreign to my classmates was the very same area I visited every weekend to see my grandmother and great-grandmother, to shop with my parents, and to eat dim sum.
And then there were those taunting words, thrown out during recess or walking home from school while fingers pulled at eyes to make them mere slits: “Hey, ching chong ding dong!”
These memories hit me hard as a kid, but I’ve worked through them, and they don’t hurt me anymore. I’ve shared them with the kids, and guess what?
They can’t relate.
And I’m overjoyed by this. They celebrate both their Vietnamese heritage from their dad’s side of the family, and their Chinese heritage from mine.
It’s great that this celebration is recognized by many in Canada, that some workplaces allow a day off, and that there seem to be more and more people sharing and learning about Lunar New Year traditions.
There is the Chinese Zodiac, but that’s not the only thing to focus on. Family is at the core, with gatherings around food, red envelopes filled with money, and so much more.
And as someone who has celebrated Lunar New Year all of my life, I’m also still learning about “the more.” That’s because it’s not only Chinese people who celebrate this time of year. Many cultures celebrate it in many different ways.
So if you are someone who celebrates, I’d love to hear about your favourite traditions and foods.
And if you didn’t grow up in a culture that observes Lunar New Year, ask how people celebrate! And also share a tradition or celebration that you love and would like more people to know about.
I’m thankful that my kids don’t have to live a dual life or hide their full selves.
But there are many in the world who continue to face similar and even greater challenges than the ones I faced when I was a child.
In the spirit of the Fire Horse, let’s continue the forward momentum.
Stay curious, connect and share, so the next generation can continue to learn, accept and celebrate our differences.
From my family to yours,
San Nin Faai Lok (Cantonese)
Chúc Mừng Năm Mới (Vietnamese)
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