UBC experts on Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year, celebrated by billions of people worldwide, marks the start of the new year in the lunar calendar.
To celebrate the Year of the Snake, the UBC Botanical Garden is hosting its third Lunar New Year market. UBC experts from a range of fields are also available to share insights about different aspects of the celebration.
Lunar New Year market at UBC Botanical Garden
This year, the market will feature a self-guided tour of the Asian Garden, more than 40 local makers and food trucks, calligraphy lessons, dessert dumpling-making workshops, and a lion dance and kung fu performance by the UBC Kung Fu Club.
The event aims to engage the UBC community through an accessible, on-campus activity, says Ariel Yu, market organizer at the Botanical Garden. “With the Asian Garden taking up more than 60 per cent of the Botanical Garden’s grounds, it’s important that we celebrate the garden along with the culture that it’s associated with.”
Date/Time: January 25-26 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: UBC Botanical Garden, 6804 SW Marine Drive, Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z1 (map)
Interview opportunities:
- Ariel Yu, Lunar New Year Market event organizer, UBC Botanical Garden (Interview languages: English, Cantonese and Mandarin)
- Zahra Chan-Khan, sustainability and community programming assistant (Interview languages: English, Cantonese)
Media interested in attending are invited to RSVP to alex.walls@ubc.ca for full schedule and parking information.
Zahra Chan-Khan, sustainability and community programming assistant at the UBC Botanical Garden, designed a self-guided tour of the Asian garden.
What plants are auspicious to eat or display this Lunar New Year?
If you want good luck and prosperity this year, make sure to eat kumquats, tangerines, persimmons, and pomelos. To bring wealth and fortune, put out jade plants (Crassula ovata) and money trees (Pachira aquatica), and eat leafy greens like bok choy and lettuce. Display chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum sp.) for longevity, anthurium (Anthurium sp.) for love, and gladiolus (Gladiolus sp.) for strength and resilience.
Email: zahra.chan-khan@ubc.ca
Interview languages: English, Cantonese
Dr. Sun Kwok, honorary professor in the department of earth, ocean and atmospheric sciences, discusses the lunar calendar.
Why does the date of Lunar New Year change from year to year?
The date of the lunar new year changes annually because it’s based on the traditional Chinese calendar, which combines lunar months with the solar year. Lunar New Year occurs on the second new moon after the winter solstice. Originally an agricultural guide for farmers, the calendar was updated in the 1600s to better predict solstices. The shift was the result of a competition between missionaries and court astronomers, which validated the new system.
Phone: 778-858-5752
Email: sunkwok@mail.ubc.ca
Interview languages: English, Cantonese
Dr. Jiaying Zhao, associate professor in the department of psychology and the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, studies how behavioural psychology can support sustainability.
How can people celebrate sustainably this Lunar New Year?
Eat more fruits and vegetables that symbolize prosperity and good health. Use WeChat to send red envelopes. Recycle packaging and reuse boxes and containers. Get out into nature instead of shopping malls.
Email: jiayingz@psych.ubc.ca
Interview language: English
Dr. Tianxi Yang, assistant professor in the faculty of land and food systems, discusses culturally significant foods.
What foods are culturally significant during Lunar New Year and why?
During Lunar New Year, it’s super meaningful to enjoy foods like dumplings, symbolizing wealth; fish, representing abundance; Nian Gao (rice cake) for success; sweet rice balls for family unity; tangerines and oranges for luck; and golden spring rolls for prosperity. Each dish carries a unique significance through its name, shape, or preparation and brings wishes for a happy and prosperous year ahead!
Phone: 604-822-1203
Email: tianxi.yang@ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English
Dr. Henry Yu is a professor of history with a focus on migration, race and colonialism, particularly in B.C.
What role have Lunar New Year celebrations historically played in relations between B.C.’s Chinese community and the broader community?
Lunar New Year celebrations were explicitly used to improve relations with other communities and to provide positive images for Chinese Canadians to counteract negative representations. The spectacular pageantry and inclusive street festivals provided symbolic heritage spaces such as Chinatowns a welcoming event for non-Chinese to participate—a key tool for countering depictions of Chinatowns and Chinese that were often negatively represented as places of vice or disease in English language media.
Email: henry.yu@ubc.ca
Interview language(s): English
