WELCOME TO THE YEAR OF THE SNAKE

1/29/2025
The Year of the Snake slithers in with promises of transformation, wisdom, and renewal. To honour this time, I spoke with members of the Asian community close to Sticky Rice Magazine across diverse fieldsart, medicine, music, and mediaabout their Lunar New Year traditions, cherished memories, and aspirations for the year ahead. Their stories reflect the diversity of cultural practices, from preparing family feasts and temple-hopping to hosting queer raves and embracing symbolic rituals like deep cleaning or offering red envelopes. Each response, filled with nostalgia and hope, paints a vivid picture of the evolving ways we celebrate and find meaning in our community. Here are the Interviewees:

Diamond Yao (Chinese, she/her, Freelance journalist)

Alexander Trinh Gia-Bao, Xander (Vietnamese-Chinese, they/he, Acupuncturist & Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner)

Claudia, Chan Tak (Chinese and Malagasy, she/her, Dancer & Multimedia Artist)

Chanho, Bang (Korean, He/Him, Creative Director at Chivalry)

Corrina, Chow (Chinese, They/She, Sticky Rice Event Organizer)

Caroline, Pham (Vietnamese-Canadian, she/her, Jewelry designer & Owner of ORA-C)

Can you share what your Lunar New Year’s Eve traditions look like? What kinds of food do you prepare or enjoy, and who do you typically celebrate with?

Diamond: My partner, an excellent cook, spends weeks preparing the menu. We have a family dinner featuring dishes from my Shanghainese culture, her Cantonese culture, and some creative innovations. I also give red pocket money to the younger folks present.

Xander: Lunar New Year is the biggest celebration for my Vietnamese-Chinese family and the most important time of the year for my mother. I’m expected to come home annually to celebrate. My parents prepare a feast for the three offering tablesthe Buddha Altar, Earth/Home, and Ancestor table. Afterward, we "temple-hop," visiting different Buddhist temples to ring in the New Year with firecrackers, lion dances, and fun fortunes.

Claudia: My family and I used to gather at my grandparents’ house with cousins, uncles, and aunts to celebrate. We’d crowd into the basement, the only space big enough to fit all the tables, and share Chinese hotpot or traditional Cantonese dishes my grandparents prepared. Though the gatherings have become smaller as they’ve aged, one tradition remains: bringing out the mahjong tables and playing all evening.

Chanho: New Year’s Eve is all about the little things. My family is scattered, but we find ways to stay connected. For me, it’s about enjoying tteokguk, kimchi, and daydreaming with a full belly.

Corrina: Deep cleaning the house has become a key ritual to clear out the old year’s negative energy and make space for a fresh start. Food also plays a major role, as the dishes eaten during Lunar New Year symbolize the year ahead. Longevity noodles for long life, New Year’s cake for prosperity, turnip cake, spring rolls, fat choy, and my favourite Buddha’s Delight are staples. These meals are shared with family, friends, and others I’ve come to consider extended family, like aunts and uncles.

Caroline: I am half Vietnamese and half Quebecoise. Growing up, whenever it was the Tet (the Vietnamese Lunar Year) we would head to my dad’s family and get so excited about the incredible meals all my aunts would prepare for the entire family. Everything was made from scratch, and there was so much food. We are a huge family, these gatherings could host over 30 of us. But now there must be over 40 people in the family, including my grown cousins’ partners and their kids. So for a few years, we rarely have this tradition anymore, as no one wants to host as many people in their house. I always miss it so much though. Sadly, I have not celebrated the Tet in a few years.


Looking back, what has been your most cherished memory of the Lunar New Year? How does this memory stand out among all your experiences?

Diamond: In 2022, I attended a Lunar New Year rave organized by Sticky Rice Magazine. It was a unique experience since I’d never celebrated this way before. We had so much fun that night and enjoyed the sense of community with fellow Asians.

Xander: My most cherished memory of the Lunar New Year is meeting up with my extended family while temple-hopping. The joy of celebrating with everyone together is something I’ll never forget.

Claudia: When I was younger, my grandparents would prepare an ancestor table with food, tea, and wine. We’d carefully arrange the offerings, bow three times, and honour our ancestors. This tradition brought comfort, reminding me we cared for everyone, past and present. Though it’s simpler now, leaving a piece of cake and a glass of champagne by the window carries the same love and respect.

Chanho: I don’t have a standout memory, but I enjoy watching movies, snacking on fruit, playing DIY yutnori or gonggi with family (occasionally), and walking around the neighbourhood. It’s all good vibes.

Corrina: Growing up, my family would visit the temple and share vegetarian meals, teaching me that Lunar New Year is about reflection and togetherness. In recent years, I’ve hosted raves with Sticky Rice Magazine, creating inclusive, queer-friendly spaces to celebrate. These events have been healing, fostering connection and joy within the community.

Caroline: It’s all a blur in my head. But the spring rolls my aunt would make would always be the absolute best thing to eat on the table, hands down. I cherish the days she would have a large ziplock bag full of frozen rolls for me to bring home. Today, every time I want to gauge a Vietnamese restaurant, I have to compare their spring rolls to hers to know if it’s a good spot.


The Snake is often associated with intuition, wisdom, and transformation. Do you see any of these traits reflected in how you approach the new year? How do they inspire or guide your mindset?

Diamond: I’m working on cultivating these qualities this year. After rebuilding my life and health, I’m focusing on transformation, becoming more aware of my patterns, and letting go of what no longer serves me. I hope this mindset leads to abundance.

Xander: It’s fascinating that these are Snake traits because I’ve been tapping into them over the past year. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, this is the year of the Yin Wood Snake-Yin symbolizes subtlety, and Wood relates to the Liver and Gallbladder, influencing emotions, vision, and vitality. These ideas align with my focus on balance and growth.

Claudia: These qualities deeply inspire me. Like the snake, I aim to trust my instincts and move fluidly while staying grounded. Its ability to shed skin without denying its past resonates with me a transformation honouring growth while embracing origins. I hope to evolve while staying true to myself.

Chanho: Honestly, I don’t know much about snakes. I’m more of a turtle or shoebill person, but snakes are cool. They represent wisdom, and I’m staying grounded while figuring things out as I go.

Corrina: As an INTJ, I often rely on logic, but this year I’m learning to trust my intuition and embrace the unknown. I’ve taken risks, like organizing community events that bring people together. Inspired by Snake’s transformation, I’m excited to see how personal and community growth unfolds in 2025.

Caroline: These qualities are all something I would benefit from acquiring in the new year for sure. Being self-employed and running a small business is never easy. However well you think you are doing, challenges continue to swipe your way in unpredictable ways. To adapt easily when required, evolve your work to grow, make wise decisions to unknown results and listen to your personal needs during crunch time.


What hopes or aspirations do you hold for the year ahead? Are there personal goals you wish to achieve, or changes you hope to cultivate within your community?

Diamond: I want to grow my freelancing business while building sustainability into it. This year feels heavy politically and socially, so I hope to strengthen relationships, foster solidarity, and support my community through mutual care.

Xander: This year, I’m focusing on my rootspracticing Shaolin Kung Fu, meditating, and creating music. I’m excited about upcoming projects in MTL, like queer acupuncture pop-ups, TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) dinner parties, and workshops. I might even visit my family’s motherland to reconnect with my heritage.

Claudia: The snake’s shedding process inspires me. It’s a vulnerable yet necessary step for growth. I wish for the artistic and Asian communities to embrace a similar period of reflection and healingidentifying and shedding what no longer serves us so we can evolve and thrive.

Chanho: This year, I’m focused on learning, trying new things, and growing. With Chivalry, we’ll keep experimenting and seeing what works. I’m excited to see where it all leads.

Corrina: The Year of the Snake symbolizes unveiling and renewal. I see it as a time for thoughtful, silent growthlike a snake shedding its skin. I hope to continue creating spaces for connection, from small gatherings to larger events, while fostering both personal and community transformation.

Caroline: This year marks the 10th anniversary of my jewelry brand. It has been a long journey, and I feel deeply grateful for the community and support that have helped me build the body of work that is ORA-C today. I’m now focusing on finding a balance between maintaining the energy to move forward and allowing my body and mind the rest they need (a task I’m still finding challenging). I also hope to keep evolving my work, exploring new horizons for my practice, and delving deeper into the medium I remain so passionate about. There are a few ideas already brewing.



The LB team wishes all of you luck and love in the new year! Big thanks to our special collaborator: Yang Shi, creative director at Sticky Rice Magazine