Chinese-ish: How are young Chinese-Australians celebrating Lunar New Year?

Chinese-ish unpicks the experiences of young Chinese-Australians in today’s Australia. Source: Joanna Hu

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In the first episode of the new SBS podcast Chinese-ish, we look at how young Chinese-Australians celebrate the biggest holiday in our cultural calendar: Lunar New Year.

From a simple dinner with family to several weeks of celebrations, customs and rituals, Lunar New Year can mean many different things to different people.

While many young Chinese(-ish) Australians might feel a bit removed from the traditions of their parents and elders, 20-year-old lion dance organiser Elvis Tran is deeply involved in his local community.

In this episode of Chinese-ish

How to keep Lunar New Year traditions alive through COVID and beyond
What makes a tradition authentic
How, or if it's even possible, to preserve Lunar New Year traditions for future generations in the diaspora.

Elvis says he "never joined lion dancing with the intention to maintain or celebrate Lunar New Year authentically.

“But having that knowledge and understanding now, I hope to really continue to learn more about it and to maintain the things that I'm doing, especially for people who haven't had the opportunity to experience it.”