How to Celebrate the Lunar New Year in Sydney
- Written by Marie-Antoinette Issa
Lunar New Year is a time-honoured celebration that marks the beginning of the lunar calendar. Across the globe, millions gather with loved ones to bid farewell to the past and welcome the days ahead with hope and festivity. It’s a time of vibrant traditions - from red lanterns illuminating streets to sumptuous feasts symbolising luck and prosperity.
As one of the most significant cultural events in Asia and beyond, Lunar New Year serves as both a joyous reunion and a chance for reflection. So whether you’re savouring symbolic dishes, enjoying live lion dance performances, seeking auspicious festive decorations, or simply soaking in the festive energy, here’s how celebrating Lunar New Year in Sydney at Paddy’s Markets can offer the perfect way to partake in these global traditions close to home.
2025: The Year of the Wood Snake
The Year of the Wood Snake symbolises wisdom, transformation, and renewal. In Chinese culture, the Snake represents calm strength, intellect, and adaptability. Known for its ability to shed its skin, it serves as a metaphor for letting go of the past and embracing growth. This year encourages reflection, the release of old patterns, and the cultivation of new opportunities.
Lunar New Year traditions highlight gratitude, family, and renewal. The reunion dinner on Lunar New Year's Eve brings loved ones together to enjoy symbolic dishes like fish for abundance and oranges for luck. It’s a time to cleanse, recalibrate, and welcome the year ahead with clarity and intention.
If you’re looking to deck out your home with the auspicious symbols of the Year of the Wood Snake, red packets known as hong bao, prosperity banners, or even traditional qipao fashion, then try Paddy’s Markets Haymarket in Chinatown.
The Chinese Zodiac
The ancient calendar dates back over 2,000 years and is based on a 12-year cycle. Each year is represented by an animal from Chinese mythology.
The Chinese zodiac consists of 12 animals - Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Every year corresponds with one of these signs and this year - the sixth animal in the zodiac is the snake, which is known for intelligence, charm and mystery.
Every Lunar New Year, you’ll be sure to be able to find these Chinese zodiac animals represented in auspicious festive decor at Paddy’s Market Haymarket.
Lunar New Year Around the World
Lunar New Year is a global celebration of family, renewal, and hope, embraced in unique ways around the world. In Beijing, vibrant dragon dances, firecrackers, and temple fairs fill the streets with energy. Southeast Asia marks the occasion with family reunions and traditions like Vietnam’s Tet, where offerings and red envelopes symbolize blessings and prosperity.
From Korea’s Seollal rituals to grand street festivals in Singapore and Thailand, Lunar New Year highlights cultural richness and togetherness. Across Chinatowns worldwide, lion dances, lanterns, and dazzling fireworks blend traditions with local flair, uniting communities in joy and optimism.
Lunar New Year is a celebration that transcends borders, and each corner of the world has its own way of embracing this joyous occasion.
Celebrate the Lunar New Year in Sydney at Paddy’s Markets
Among the major cities around the world that now host their own Lunar New Year celebrations - introducing local communities to the vibrant culture of the festival - is Sydney. Here, festivities feature lantern festivals, cultural performances, and food markets, inviting everyone to partake in the rich traditions of Lunar New Year. These festivals often include street performances by acrobats, musicians, and dancers, along with pop-up food stalls offering everything from dumplings to char siu bao (barbecue pork buns) and bubble tea. The fusion of Eastern and Western cultures creates an inclusive atmosphere where locals and tourists alike come together to mark the occasion.
For a uniquely Australian twist on Lunar New Year, head to Paddy’s Market on selected dates, as this iconic market transforms into a vibrant hub of auspicious lion dancers, food, culture and festivities to welcome the Year of the Snake.
Highlights include:
- Auspicious Cuisine. With hundreds of traders, you’ll find everything to shop for your homemade Lunar New Year traditional dishes from seafood to decadent desserts and fruits.
- Prosperity Decor. Paddy’s will have traders with prosperity decor for you to deck out your home in all the red and gold, and auspicious Wood Snake figures.
- Live Lion Dance Performances. The THQ Cabra lion dance troupe will keep the energy high, performing the traditional "cai qing" or "plucking the greens" and drumming tunes to keep evil spirits at bay.
- Convenience. Rain or shine, the all-weather venue makes it easy to enjoy the night. With ample parking and accessible public transport options, getting there is a breeze.
Lunar New Year is a vibrant celebration of family, renewal, and prosperity, bringing people together from all walks of life. At Paddy's Markets, we embrace the festive spirit with colourful decorations, traditional treats, and gifts symbolizing good fortune. Explore our diverse stalls to find red envelopes, symbolic fruits, and unique items perfect for your Lunar New Year celebrations.