Lunar New Year@PAM

For over a decade, USC PAM has hosted the popular Lunar New Year Festival, which features live performances, artmaking activities, food trucks, and more. Admission to the festival and museum galleries is always FREE! View our program calendar to learn about the upcoming event.

Lunar New Year@PAM 2026 Digital Program

What is Lunar New Year?

Lunar New Year is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the start of the new year, according to the lunisolar calendar (where months begin with each new moon). This major celebration holds deep cultural significance in countries like China, Korea, and Vietnam, among others. While the exact dates differ from culture to culture, the heart of the holiday is universal, focusing on gathering with family, reconnecting with friends, and sharing traditions passed down through generations.

With a history of over 3,000 years, Lunar New Year is celebrated across East and South Asian countries. Each year is tied to an animal in the Chinese zodiac. However, not all regions follow zodiac traditions. Every culture has its own way of celebrating, with unique dishes, games, and customs, making Lunar New Year a meaningful and special occasion for many communities.

What are common themes in the celebration?

Reconnecting with family
Honoring ancestors
Welcoming good fortune
Eating delicious foods!

Create Your Own Paper Lanterns

Learn to create your own celebratory paper lantern at home!

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this event free?

Yes, all activities and museum admission are free on this day.

Is there parking?

On-site parking is not available due to the event taking place in the lot. Guests may find street or public parking in the various paid lots around the area, such as Paseo Colorado. We encourage carpooling, rideshare, and use of public transportation, such as Metro.

Are animals allowed at the event?

Service dogs that perform specific duties, such as mobility assistance, retrieval, indication, and medical alerts are allowed. All other animals are not allowed in the museum or outdoors at the event.

How do I access the exhibition?

Gallery access is limited due to space constraints. Visitors are invited to line up outside the gallery and will be admitted as space becomes available by museum or security staff.

Is this event accessible to visitors with disabilities?

Yes, the USC Pacific Asia Museum is fully accessible to visitors with disabilities. We offer accessible entrances, restrooms, and elevators. Wheelchairs are available upon request.

Can I reserve a seat for performances or activities?

There are no reservations. All seating is first-come first-served, and art activities are drop-in while supplies last.

Is there food available at the event?

Yes, there are food trucks for purchasing food. You may also bring your own food. No food or beverages are allowed inside the galleries, however.

Are there family accommodations?

Stroller parking is available both in the event lot and in the museum courtyard. There is a baby changing station located in the all gender restroom in the courtyard. For any extra accommodations, please reach out to staff members for support.

Will this event be recorded?

This event will be photographed for promotional and archival purposes.

How is Lunar New Year celebrated in different places?

Lunar New Year in China

In China, Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival, is a two-week celebration filled with family gatherings, traditions, and hopes for good fortune. It kicks off with a New Year’s Eve feast and wraps up on the fifteenth day with the Lantern Festival, which features parades, glowing lanterns, and dragon dances. These vibrant dances are believed to drive away evil spirits and bring good luck, and the length of the dance symbolizes the extent of the community’s blessings.

Homes are decorated with red paper cuttings and lanterns to symbolize happiness and ward off bad luck. On the first day of the new year, red envelopes (“hóngbāo” in Mandarin or “lai see” in Cantonese) filled with money are gifted to children, unmarried adults, and employees. During the Lunar New Year, families gather to enjoy symbolic dishes like dumplings (symbolizing wealth) and whole fish (symbolizing abundance). These foods vary by region—Northern China favors round dumplings, while Southern China prefers crescent-shaped ones resembling ancient silver ingots.

Lunar New Year in Vietnam

In Vietnam, Lunar New Year, or Tet, is a time to honor ancestors and embrace fresh starts. Families clean their homes to sweep away bad luck and gather to prepare traditional dishes like banh chung, a square rice cake with pork and mung beans symbolizing the Earth.

Ancestral altars are adorned with offerings, and everyone dresses in bright new clothes to welcome good fortune. Red envelopes are also given to children and young adults for luck.

Lunar New Year in Korea

In Korea, Lunar New Year, or Seollal, is a three-day celebration focused on family and honoring ancestors. Families gather at the home of the eldest male relative for a special ancestral worship ceremony called charye, where an elaborate spread of food is offered to the ancestors. Female family members will prepare the food while the male members serve it.

A must-have dish is Tteokguk (rice cake soup), which symbolizes growing a year older. Seollal is also about fun and togetherness. Families play traditional games like Yut Nori (a stick-tossing board game) and GoStop (a fast-paced card game). Many people wear traditional Korean attire, known as hanbok, designed with bright colors and elegant patterns, to mark the festive occasion.

Lunar New Year in Singapore

In Singapore,the Chingay Parade lights up the streets with lion dances, dragon performers, and colorful floats winding through the city. Families enjoy symbolic treats like nian gao (sticky rice cakes) and pineapple tarts, which represents sweetness and prosperity.

A unique Singaporean tradition is lo hei, a prosperity toss of yusheng (raw fish salad). Families gather to toss the salad high, as each ingredient represents good luck— the higher the toss, the greater the fortune!

Lunar New Year in Taiwan

In Taiwan, Lunar New Year is a 16-day celebration, all about family, tradition, and welcoming good fortune. Families gather for elaborate meals featuring dishes like dumplings, symbolizing wealth, and fish, which is intentionally left unfinished to ensure abundance in the coming year.

Ancestral altars are central to the celebrations, where respects are paid, and red envelopes are gifted to children, employees, and loved ones. Fireworks light up the skies, scaring away evil spirits and inviting luck. The festivities end with the Lantern Festival, where neighborhoods glow with intricate lanterns, and families enjoy tangyuan, sweet glutinous rice balls, symbolizing unity and togetherness.

Lunar New Year in Malaysia

Lunar New Year in Malaysia is a vibrant 15-day celebration blending traditions from Chinese, Hokkien, and Cantonese communities. On the ninth day, fireworks will light up the Malaysian sky, as the Hokkien community honors the birthday of the Jade Emperor. It ends with Chap Goh Mei, often called the “Chinese Valentine’s Day,” where singles toss mandarin oranges into rivers to wish for love in the year ahead.

The festivities begin with reunion dinners, featuring dishes like yee sang, a colorful salad tossed high for prosperity. Red envelopes, or ang pow, are gifted to children and unmarried family members, often with wishes for health and success. Lion dances are a highlight, as performers are invited into homes to sweep away bad energy. Many dress in traditional cheongsam or qipao, with gold being a favorite color for inviting abundance.