Fun Lunar New Year Celebrations and Activities in the Workplace

A Lunar New Year celebration in the office is a great way to embrace cultural diversity and learn more about your fellow employees. It can help to draw a team closer together and understand the cultural significance behind this festival. 

At this point, you might be wondering, “Well, how do I celebrate the Lunar New Year?” Don’t worry because we have you covered. 

In this article, we have a long list of Lunar New Year celebration ideas to help you embrace Chinese culture while having fun. 

The Year of the Dragon

Every year in the Chinese zodiac corresponds to one of twelve animals, which are as follows:   

• Rat
• Ox
• Tiger
• Rabbit
• Dragon
• Snake
• Horse
• Goat or Sheep
• Monkey
• Rooster
• Dog
• Pig 

Each creature also shares a relationship with one of the five elements - metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. These elements help to define the year's attributes. 

The Year of the Dragon occurs every 12 years, and the last occurred in 2012. This was the Year of the Water Dragon, whereas 2024 marks the Year of the Wood Dragon.

Breaking It Down

To ensure that you understand the symbolism behind this, let’s take a closer look at what “The Year of the Wood Dragon” means, according to Chinese beliefs. 

What Does the Dragon Symbolize?

The Dragon is a formidable and mythical creature in Chinese mythology, representing strength, energy, and prosperity. Individuals who are born in the Year of the Dragon are thought to acquire the dragon's intellect, charm, and leadership. 

Moreover, dragons are often associated with accomplishment and success, and they are frequently described as ambitious and eager. 

Understanding the Symbolism of the Element Wood

Wood is symbolic of growth, adaptability, and life. In the Chinese zodiac, this element is thought to improve the Dragon's attributes by imparting compassion, flexibility, and creativity. It is also closely linked to the spring season, representing a time of growth and rejuvenation. 

Finally, the Year of the Wood Dragon is believed to create harmony between the Dragon's energetic and assertive features and the wood's sustaining and growth-driven characteristics.

This combination can be interpreted as an opportunity for people to work toward their goals with inventiveness, flexibility, and a sense of rebirth.

Why Celebrate the Lunar New Year?

If you are not Chinese, then you might be wondering whether it’s a good idea to celebrate this event. There are a number of reasons for this.

The truth is that for millions of people all around the world, Lunar New Year is an important social and cultural event. It symbolizes the start of the lunar year, stressing renewal, introspection, and the chance for new beginnings. 

This joyous occasion promotes cultural pride and improves communal relationships by bringing families together to celebrate customs passed down from generation to generation.  

Moreover, it’s important to remember that Lunar New Year celebration traditions are steeped in rich traditions, with every detail, from crimson décor to dancing dragons, holding symbolic significance. The occasion also allows for the exchange of kindness, which promotes a sense of harmony and unity. 

Celebrating the Lunar New Year in different workplaces helps to encourage inclusiveness by allowing people to talk about their unique heritage and can help break racial and cultural barriers in the workplace. 

Plus, many of the practices, food, and décor elements used in these celebrations are said to bring luck, prosperity, and fame.

Festive Ideas to Celebrate Lunar New Year at the Workplace

Without further ado, here are a few great Lunar New Year celebration ideas to spark some creativity and help you make the most of this occasion. Combine a few of these ideas for the ultimate workplace celebration! 

Learn More About the Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration

Understanding this occasion is an important step if you want to celebrate the Lunar New Year and welcome the Year of the Wood Dragon. 

It is all about starting over and letting go of the past. The festival has been celebrated for almost 3000 years, beginning with the Shang Dynasty. 

One way to ensure that everyone understands the significance of the Lunar holiday is to create an intranet post designed to inform staff about the history and purpose of the Lunar holiday. You can include links to material for additional resources that employees can use to find local festivals, see pictures, and more.

Have a Lunar New Year-themed Dress Up Day

Another way to embrace Lunar New Year celebration traditions is to have a dress-up day, where everyone comes to work wearing Lunar New Year colors, which typically include red. This is a fantastic way to add a little festivity to the office and show your support for this event.

Dress Up the Office

Employees aren’t the only ones who should dress for the occasion. You can transform your workspace using Lunar New Year decorations, such as vivid dragon imagery.

To add to the celebratory atmosphere, we recommend hanging red lanterns and other decorative elements, like streamers, along with your dragon motifs. Red lanterns are particularly prominent in Lunar New Year celebrations because they are representative of prosperity and wealth. 

The color red represents prosperity and happiness in Chinese culture, so incorporating red elements into your work area is believed to bring life to your workstation. 

If streamers and lanterns aren’t what you were going for, why not simply add minor elements to your office desk? A simple red lantern or a dragon motif hanging from your office chair can be subtle yet effective ways to show your support and appreciation for Chinese culture.

Plan a Lunar New Year-inspired Meal

Food is important in any celebration, so planning a meal is a great way to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Here are a few things you can add to the menu to show your appreciation for this Chinese event: 

• Tangerines. These fruits are thought to symbolize success, which is why they would make a fantastic addition to your Lunar New Year celebration. One of the ways that the word “tangerine” uses the symbol of luck, which is why it is a good item to add to your lunch menu.
• Noodles. This dish is a staple in Chinese cuisine, so what better way to celebrate a Chinese event than with a dish that was invented in the country? Keep in mind that in Asian countries, slurping is considered a complement to the chef, so it is highly encouraged.
• Yu Sheng. Yu Sheng is considered a "prosperity salad." Salmon is generally served on a tray with ingredients like shredded carrot, cucumber, ginger, white and radish, sesame seeds, and other ingredients.
• Dumplings. Our next dish represents wealth and success in the coming year because dumplings typically look like the Chinese ingots that served as currency during the Ming Dynasty. A common tradition or belief is that the one who eats the most dumplings is sure to have the most luck for the year. Why not have a competition to bring this tradition into your workplace this Lunar New Year?

Make Your Own Dumplings

As we have just seen, dumplings play an important role in the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration, so why not plan a team-building exercise where all employees get together to create their own? 

Dumplings are a lot of fun to make, and if your company has a fully equipped kitchen, you can easily mold and prepare your own as a team. 

Another excellent alternative is to take a cooking class together so that you can learn a skill that many Chinese people have mastered. It's a great team-building exercise that can promote a new appreciation for Chinese traditions through a culinary experience. 

Plan a Trip to a Traditional Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration

The Lunar New Year is a celebratory occasion that is often enjoyed worldwide. If you want to have an authentic experience, then we recommend getting out there and attending a real Lunar New Year celebration as a team. 

Listen to the sounds, see wonderful sights, and take in the aroma of Chinese cuisine to gain a newfound appreciation for the culture. You will likely see a traditional dragon dance, which is entertaining to watch in person and taste authentic lucky foods to bring prosperity for the new year.

Have an Office Fitness Challenge

Another less traditional way to celebrate the Lunar New Year is to have an office fitness challenge. This will promote good health and prosperity for the coming year while also helping you to stay fit. 

You can offer a Lunar New Year-inspired gift for the winner and have team members battle it out to be the biggest loser. 

Plan Lunar New Year Games

If a trip out of the office is not possible, then there are ways you can celebrate the Chinese New Year in your workspace. 

Gather the team instead for some trivia time. Divide the group into two or more teams and ask each team a series of questions about the Chinese Lunar New Year. Whoever gets the most right wins! 

Suppose a game of trivia sounds a little too boring. In that case, do not fear. There are other Lunar New Year games that you can play, such as Chopsticks, the Ping Pong Race, the Paper Lantern Game, and others.

Give Out Red Envelopes

Another great way to celebrate this Chinese event is to give out red envelopes. It can be used as one of the brain break activities for adults that help to promote productivity while still appreciating Chinese culture. 

As we have already seen, red is considered a very lucky color in East Asia, so when you hand a person a red envelope, you are giving them a gift of wealth and happiness for the next year. You can find traditional Chinese red envelopes at most Asian grocery stores as well as online. 

This is an excellent moment to share joy among staff members by offering a small reward or gift of appreciation. While red envelopes are typically filled with cash, gift certificates are an excellent alternative, and digital gifting of red envelopes is becoming increasingly popular!

Create Chinese-inspired Art

You can also consider incorporating motivational activities for employees to promote good luck in the Year of the Wood Dragon. Such activities might include a dragon-inspired painting tutorial from an artist, trying your hand at Chinese calligraphy, or creating a dragon sculpture to show to friends and family. 

This will not only help workers develop an appreciation for Chinese culture, but it also promotes creativity and productivity, which can be incredibly useful in the working environment. 

Meet to Light Lanterns and Fireworks

Lanterns and fireworks also form an integral part of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration. Although the majority of fireworks are set off on Lunar New Year's Eve, it is customary to light a firecracker on the morning of Lunar New Year's Day to ward off ill luck. 

This means that if meeting at night is not preferable, you can simply enjoy the privilege of starting your new year off with a loud bang. 

However, if you are able to meet outside of work hours, then lighting red paper lanterns and watching them take off into the sky is a fantastic way to usher in the new year. That's because it symbolizes letting go of your past self as you prepare for the coming year. 

Learn to Say a Chinese Greeting

If you want to familiarize yourself with Lunar New Year celebration traditions, then why not learn how to say a traditional greeting? Use Google to help you out and greet your team members in Chinese this Lunar New Year!

Final Thoughts

Well, there you have it! Which of our Lunar New Year celebration ideas would you choose to welcome the Year of the Wood Dragon? Keep in mind that you can combine several of these ideas for a fun-filled day that helps you grow a deep appreciation for Asian culture.