FINDING HOME THROUGH CELEBRATION

For me, celebrating Lunar New Year in Melbourne just does not hit the same. Back in Hong Kong, the whole environment shifts during this period. The festive atmosphere and excitement are present everywhere you go. It felt as if everyone was part of the celebration. Here in Melbourne, the energy feels more belonging and diluted. There are still traces of festive spirit, though they appear limited to only areas with larger Asian populations. Beyond that, the rest of the city just feels like every other day.

What makes the biggest difference, in my experience, is the absence of extended family. Growing up, Lunar New Year has always been tied to huge family gatherings and getting to meet relatives you didn’t even know you had. Celebrating with only my immediate family and a few friends here in Australia, again, makes the festival feel a little dimmer, especially when my parents aren’t really the type to go all out on this holiday. Everything I’ve learnt about Lunar New Year came from my grandparents, so without their presence and guidance, the celebration just feels incomplete.

With that being said, I still enjoy the small yet rituals I’ve developed here. And as the Asian community in Melbourne grows, I can slowly feel the spirit of this holiday being brought back. While it’s not going to be the same scale, simple traditions like receiving red envelopes, eating rice cakes and having shared meals have helped me and feel a sense of and with my heritage culture. They remind me that culture doesn’t disappear; it just adapts. And sometimes, just being around family and friends, speaking my language, and eating the food I grew up with is enough to make the distance feel a little smaller.