Faith and culture come together as Catholic communities across Asia mark the Lunar New Year through family gatherings, prayer, and acts of charity.
By Fr. Mark Robin Destura, RCJ
In many Asian countries, the Lunar New Year, rooted in Chinese cultural tradition, is widely celebrated, including among Catholic families who continue to honor their ancestral customs.
For the Church, this season is more than a cultural festival. It is also a pastoral opportunity for evangelization, thanksgiving, and family reconciliation.
Through the lens of inculturation, the Church recognizes the Lunar New Year as a moment when faith enters deeply into the fabric of Asian life.
Across the region, Catholics celebrate the New Year through local customs, while placing Christ at the center of their family and community life.
Celebrating faith and tradition in Vietnam
In Vietnam, preparations for the Lunar New Year, known as Tết, begin soon after Christmas. Families start making traditional food, especially bánh chưng (rice cakes), decorating their homes, and cleaning ancestral graves.
For Catholics, these practices are observed with a spiritual focus on beginning the year with renewed trust in God.
On New Year’s Eve, many faithful gather in churches for a special Mass of thanksgiving. They give thanks for the blessings of the past year and renew their commitment to the Lord for the year ahead.
During the first days of Tết, Masses are celebrated with specific intentions. The first day is dedicated to prayers for peace. The second day is offered for grandparents and parents, both living and deceased. The third day is devoted to the sanctification of work, studies, and personal endeavors.
The Church in Vietnam also emphasizes charity at the start of the year. Many parishes visit the poor and distribute food, especially traditional rice cakes, as signs of Christian solidarity and compassion.
For Vietnamese Catholics, these acts reflect the true spirit of the New Year, happiness rooted in faith and peace.
Family and prayer in Thailand
In Thailand, Catholics observe the Lunar New Year in a similar spirit, centered on family reunions, remembrance of the dead, and prayer for the future.
Fr. Peter Piyachart Makornkharnp, speaking to LiCAS News, said, “The Lunar New Year is an opportunity to deepen family bonds and pray for the year ahead.”
Special thanksgiving Masses are held, during which families entrust their hopes and plans to God.
Fr. Peter also reminded the faithful that while cultural practices in harmony with Catholic teaching are encouraged, superstitious rituals should be avoided.
A well-known tradition is the giving of red envelopes, or ang pao, containing money.
“At the conclusion of the Thanksgiving Mass, we distribute traditional ‘ang pao’ to all,” he explained. “This gesture serves to tether the joyful hope of the new year to the communal charity of the Church.”
Through this practice, material generosity is linked with spiritual communion as part of the community.
Cultural expressions in Malaysia
In Malaysia, churches are often decorated with red lanterns and festive banners to welcome the Lunar New Year.
Many parishes celebrate a thanksgiving Mass on the first day of the year. However, some Catholics may miss the Mass to participate in family customs, such as the Rite of Veneration of Ancestors or watching the traditional lion dance.
The veneration of ancestors is widely accepted by many Catholics as an expression of filial piety, in harmony with the commandment to honor one’s parents. For them, it is a cultural way of expressing gratitude and remembrance.
Other people, however, express reservations, preferring to focus prayers for the dead on All Souls’ Day and during Eucharistic celebrations.
Despite these differing views, the Lunar New Year in Malaysia remains a deeply family-centered celebration, where faith continues to be nurtured and strengthened.
A season of thanksgiving and charity
Across Asia, the Lunar New Year remains a significant moment that highlights the importance of family, gratitude, and generosity.
Through these celebrations, the Church bears witness that the Gospel can be lived authentically within long-standing cultural traditions.
By embracing the values of respect, solidarity, and prayer, Catholics in Asia continue to transform the Lunar New Year into a season of faith, hope, and love, rooted in tradition and illuminated by the light of Christ.
