Celebrating Lunar New Year

Blog

Jennifer Adam, Curator

February 17 2026 marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year. It is one of the most important dates in Chinese culture, and is celebrated across East and Southeast Asia.

The new year’s greeting, ‘Kung hei fat choi!’ means, ‘Wishing you happiness and prosperity!’ Many Lunar New Year traditions use money and its symbolism to bring good luck.

Lucky money gifts

In Chinese culture, lucky red envelopes (called hong bao, or lai see) are given on special occasions: most at Lunar New Year, but also at weddings, graduations and birthdays. Red symbolises good luck and the envelope contains a gift of money, often from elders to children. For the best of luck, the banknotes should be crisp and new, and the coins shiny! In Korea, money gifts are often given at New Year inside bokjumeoni, traditional lucky bags.

The tradition is increasingly going digital. Several apps now let people give virtual red envelopes instead.

Lucky Dumplings

Dumplings are eaten at Lunar New Year as a symbol of wealth and prosperity. Crescent-shaped ‘jiaozi’ dumplings are shaped like silver or gold ingots. Other dumplings might be shaped like money bags. Sometimes they don’t just look like money, but contain real coins!

Making dumplings by hand for a family gathering is a huge group effort. The dumplings and the meal symbolise togetherness and abundance – heartfelt wishes for the year ahead. 

‘I was lucky enough to spend Chinese New Year in Inner Mongolia, where there is a tradition of hiding coins in the pork dumplings. If you found a coin in your dumpling you won 100 yuan (about £10). The family got some lovely crisp £10 notes just for me, so I wouldn’t have to change my winnings. Being the incredibly competitive person I am, I ate so many dumplings in a bid to win that I made myself horribly sick!’ Emily 

吃饭 chī fàn, 2023 - Porcelain clay sculpture and vessels

Charlotte Hua Yu Aldridge

Recreating dumplings from clay turns each fold into a vessel for memory - the quiet artistry of history pressed into sculpted dough.  This practice has become a medium through which I explore themes of diaspora, nostalgia, luck, and fortune, translating personal and collective histories into durable form.

This installation presents a complete set of handmade porcelain objects, assembled as a frozen meal suspended in time. The work draws on porcelain’s revered status within Chinese history. Originating in the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), porcelain has long been celebrated as China’s pinnacle medium, admired for its pure white complexion, delicacy, and translucency - qualities historically associated with refinement, wealth, and power. Each object is coated in a thin translucent glaze that enhances the material’s luminous surface. Subtle notes of colour appear only within the pottery details, adhering to traditional Chinese palettes.

At the centre of the installation are dumplings, the foundation to Chinese New Year. Their carefully sculpted folds and crescent form resemble ancient gold ingots, symbolising prosperity and good fortune. From their ingredients and preparation to their shared consumption, dumplings embody wishes for abundance in the coming year.

As a whole, the collection binds food and ceramics into a singular, unified form. By rendering a meal in porcelain, the work immortalises recipes and reflects on how traditions are preserved and carried forward - how gestures of making, sharing, and eating become acts of remembrance that sustain family ties across generations.

To get in touch with our featured artist, see her contact details below:

• Instagram: @charlotte.huayu_art 
• LinkedIn
• Email: charlotte.aldridge03@gmail.com