Growing up, many of my most memorable moments of the Lunar New Year weren’t just the celebrations themselves, but rather the bustling times spent preparing with loved ones—in particular making and eating copious amounts of food laden with symbolism. For families around the world who celebrate the holiday, which is marked by the second new moon after the winter solstice, it is one of the most important times of the year to be together.
The prepwork for all those festivities is elaborate and starts well in advance. As families make their own preparations, around the world, armies of dedicated craftspeople, cooks, and more work around the clock in the days leading up to the festival to ensure an unforgettable experience. It may be time-consuming, but it is all in service of a celebration of family and hard work and new beginnings.
Shoppers prep for the Lunar New Year at a flower market in Hong Kong. (January 25, 2022) Anthony Kwan/Getty Images
Atlas Obscura invites you to check out the many preparations for 2022’s Year of the Tiger, roaring in on February 1, 2022.
A woman completes the incense-making process ahead of the Lunar New Year in Medan, Indonesia. (January 20, 2022) Kiki Cahyadi/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesA worker climbs to clean a giant Buddha statue inside a temple in Manila, Philippines. (January 27, 2022) George Calvelo/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesNinety-four-year-old Cui Jinfeng makes traditional handicraft tiger-head shoes to give away at Duan village in China’s Henan Province. (January 20, 2022) Xu Hongxing/VCG via Getty ImagesBaskets cakes, a popular Lunar New Year food, are prepared to steam in Bogor, Indonesia. (January 18, 2022) Adriana Adie/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesA vendor writes and sells Spring Festival couplets at a stall in Foshan, Guangdong Province, China. (January 9, 2022) Chen Yufeng/VCG via Getty ImagesA man makes a traditional dragon heads for the upcoming celebration in Bogor, Indonesia. (January 15, 2022) Sandika Fadilah/Xinhua via Getty ImagesPots of apricot blossoms are offered for sale in Hanoi before Tet, as the Lunar New Year is referred to in Vietnam. (January 26, 2022) Nhac Nguyen/AFP via Getty ImagesTiger lanterns are part of the festivities in Surakarta, Indonesia. (January 26, 2022) Bram Selo/Xinhua via Getty ImagesPeople practice a dragon dance ahead in Xinyu, Jiangxi Province, China. (January 14, 2022) Zhao Chunliang /VCG via Getty ImagesVillagers rush to make lanterns in Haian, in China’s Jiangsu Province. (January 16, 2022) Zhai Huiyong / Costfoto/Future Publishing via Getty Images