A few nights ago, I went to a lunar new year celebration at the Royal Ontario Museum, which was very energizing. Last year, I happened to visit The Met a few days before the lunar new year and saw the AAPI Jazz Collective play. When I realized this, I felt like it was a cosmic coincidence; as I give it more thought, I just really enjoy being around history and art.

It’s wonderful to see these festivities in North America. When I grew up, lunar new year was barely even mentioned; it was just another day at school for me, and at the office for my parents. As a teenager, a handful of classmates would stay home to celebrate. I was told that the lunar new year was a huge deal in Asia.

A few years ago, when I lived in Hong Kong, the city bustled with people shuttling to and from family events. People want to preserve the fortune that comes with the new year. For example, nobody gets haircuts on new year’s day, so barbershops are closed. Similarly, people clean their houses the night before so they don’t sweep their good fortune away.