Jefferson City — A video celebrating the Lunar New Year holiday in Missouri is now available. The video highlights Asian traditions and features cultural performances and interviews with community leaders.
The Lunar New Year, which has been observed for thousands of years, is the most celebrated Asian festival in the world. The first day of the 2022 Lunar New Year was Tuesday, Feb. 1, initiating the Year of the Tiger, which exemplifies courage, generosity and vigor. Governor Mike Parson recently issued a proclamation recognizing the Lunar New Year holiday in Missouri.
“To put it in perspective, the Lunar New Year is like Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s holidays rolled into one,” Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Director Anna Hui said. “It shares a lot in common with those holidays as well, with a focus on family, food and gift-giving. Missourians embody the values of family and connection that the Lunar New Year celebrates.”
The video includes recorded segments from a live celebration that was held by Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe and Director Hui at the Missouri State Capitol on Jan. 25. The live event featured traditional performances by students from the St. Louis Chinese Language School and the Chinese Language School of Columbia. Photos from that event are available in this Flickr album.
A digital flipbook is also available to accompany the video and can be found along with related materials at labor.mo.gov/lunar-new-year. The interactive document showcases additional information on Lunar New Year celebrations, including traditional customs, foods, and recipes.
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