Peggy Dover

The last time I saw the dragon, it was dancing in the snow. That was a few years ago in Jacksonville for the Chinese New Year celebration.

This week marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year. LNY is celebrated by about 16 different countries throughout Asia, each with their own variations on the theme. They have the phases of the moon in common. Also known as the Spring Festival in China, Lunar New Year is a positive, happy time smack in bleak midwinter. It’s a time to celebrate renewal with family and friends — to restart the year with optimism and best wishes.

False spring is peeking around the corner. Lately, I’ve rejoiced to see two eager beaver vultures with frosty beaks and parkas soaring over their usual roosting tree in my yard. They’re not there in the morning when it’s 19 degrees F. These trips back and forth to Sacramento must be exhausting.

Lunar New Year follows the moon phases rather than the Earth’s movement around the sun as does our Gregorian calendar. Then, too, there is the lesser-known, yet gaining in popularity Pegorian option. It uses months alone. Spring begins March first and ends May 31. Summer begins June first and so on. January first always marks the New Year in both latter cases.

Personally, I love the idea of a restart in late January. That’s when all the goodies in my freezer leftover from the holidays are eaten and my several birthday indulgences have passed.

The Chinese Lunar New Year celebration goes on for days — 15 to be exact. It lands on different days each year because of moon phases changing slightly, but usually occurs toward the end of January through mid-February. For 2025, festivities began Jan. 29 and run through Feb. 12.

The Vietnamese believe that on the first day of Lunar New Year, the first person to walk through your door will bring misfortune or good luck. So, they arrange ahead of time to welcome the most prosperous or luckiest person they know into their home. In certain pockets of our Great Pacific Northwest, adherents believe in extending an invitation to the silliest person they know. Sorry folks, but my LNY calendar meet-and-greet is full for the next 15 years.

The Chinese zodiac is represented by 12 animals. This year is the sixth, or midpoint of the lineup and is the snake.

The snake doesn’t represent evil or scary things in the Chinese culture as it does elsewhere. To the Chinese, the snake brings positive improvements including, but not limited to: intelligence, resilience, passion, fertility and transformation. I wonder if there will be a run on nursery items later in the year. Other Asian countries may use different animals, or may not use them at all.

Cleaning house is a common tradition during Lunar New Year. Maybe if I consider this a festival instead of a drudge, I will experience the elusive “deep cleaning” I hear about. But no snakes will be welcomed into the house.

Our local celebration has traditionally taken place in Jacksonville, and this year is no exception. Chinese immigrants, though not exactly welcomed with open arms in the mid-1800s, were quite instrumental in early mining endeavors and establishing several assorted businesses there. There are remnants of the mining claims of Gin Lin and others in the Applegate area and along the Woodlands trails of Jacksonville.

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, there will be 27 booths presenting cultural treats, arts and crafts, traditional performances in the Jacksonville City Hall great room, and of course, the dancing dragon. While there is no parade, events will be popping all over town: in and around the New City Hall (old courthouse), Jacksonville Community Center, the Jacksonville branch library and Miners’ Bazaar. Traditional red lanterns will be hung around town to welcome one and all.

I’ve heard rumors to the effect that the trolley will be offering free rides from one venue to the next. Further details to come.

We have the Southern Oregon Chinese Cultural Society to thank for bringing an early pan-Asian spring to Southern Oregon. Watch their website www.socca.us for details about the when and where for each event coming soon.