Lunar New Year celebrated in Leominster

LEOMINSTER — Staff members from Susan’s Nails recently celebrated Lunar New Year with colorful costumes and games at the 1290 Main St. business.

Susan’s Nails owner Huong Marosz, who is Vietnamese along with some of the other member of her team, organized the Feb. 17 gathering and posted photos from it on social media along with this message, “Susan’s Nails Team wishing everyone a happy, healthy, peaceful, and prosperous Lunar New Year, the Year of the Fire Horse. We would love to share some of our happy moments celebrating the New Year with our beloved clients.”

Lunar New Year, which began Feb. 17 for the Year of the Fire Horse, is primarily celebrated by Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and other East/Southeast Asian communities. The 15-day celebration that marks the start of spring and the new year on the lunisolar calendar focuses on family reunions, cleaning, red decorations, and feasts.

The crew at Susan’s Nails passed out red envelopes to each other containing lì xì, or “lucky money,” where cash is given to convey wishes for health, prosperity and good luck, Marosz said, adding that the red color symbolizes luck and protection against evil spirits.

They donned traditional Vietnamese Áo dài costumes in honor of the holiday, a long, split silk tunic worn over trousers, including Marosz’s teenage daughter. The female entrepreneur said Lunar New Year — in Vietnamese called Tet, short for Tet Nguyên Đán — is “the most important celebration of Vietnamese culture.”

“It is a time for family reunions, honoring ancestors, and welcoming the new year with hopes for luck, peace, and success,” Marosz said. “As Vietnamese Americans, we want to reserve this beautiful culture.”