Miya Lee

new video loaded: How Lunar New Year Traditions Take Root Across America transcript transcript How Lunar New Year Traditions Take Root Across America The New York Times traveled to Honolulu, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New Orleans and New York to see how Asian American communities blend old and new customs to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Growing up, I never really felt like Asian culture or Vietnamese culture in general was included in Mardi Gras.

The team traveled to five cities in a whirlwind tour, working with local videographers to capture each community’s unique celebrations. Feb. 20, 2026 With Tuesday’s arrival of the new moon, Asian Americans gathered to celebrate the Lunar New Year, a holiday that lasts several days to weeks, depending on the culture, and generally culminates on the full moon, which this year lands on March 3.

Corey Chan’s San Francisco home looks like any other in the elevated neighborhood of Anza Vista: simple, two-storied, with large windows to let in sweeping views of the skyline and glimmering bay below. But when Chan, 63, opens his two-car garage, it’s like a portal to another world. Chinese lion heads of seemingly every color, size and style hang from the walls and ceiling. A five-foot tall dragon head, its fanged mouth agape, sits where one would expect a car.