Sojern employees around the world celebrated the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year during the Lunar New Year in January. Lunar New Year is one of the most important holidays in China, and is also widely celebrated in South Korea, Vietnam, and more. Lunar New Year celebrations can last up to 15 days and the holiday comes to its climax with the Yuan Xiao (元宵节 / yuán xiāo jié), or Lantern Festival, celebrated on February 5th, 2023.
Beginning more than 2,000 years ago, the festival has developed many meanings. It celebrates family reunions and society. It features ancient spiritual traditions. Some also call this the “true” Chinese Valentine’s Day. The many activities include moon gazing, lighting lanterns, riddles, lion dances and eating rice balls.
Our Sojern team in Singapore participate in their own traditions, as well:
“As an expat in Singapore, something I enjoy the most celebrating Lunar New Year here is the tradition of doing Lo Hei, which translates to ‘tossing up good fortune’ in Cantonese,” said Camille Venturina, senior regional sales manager in Singapore. “This is a ritual in Singapore that involves a group of people gathered around a massive plate of various ingredients, tossing its contents as high as possible while saying auspicious phrases, such as ‘huat ah,’ to wish for prosperity, or ‘shòudào’, to receive, before eating. It is believed that the higher the toss, the better your prospects and fortune in the year ahead.”
Lunar New Year also marks the transition between zodiac signs. The Chinese zodiac, or Sheng Xiao (生肖), is a repeating 12-year cycle of animal signs and their ascribed attributes, based on the lunar calendar. In order, the zodiac animals are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig.
To celebrate the Year of the Rabbit, Sojern employees came together to:
“I enjoyed watching the video that my APAC teammates made explaining the cultural importance of the holiday in their region and sharing the foods that are important for the celebration,” said Angie Saxton, sales support representative in Omaha. “I am so glad, Sojern creates spaces to celebrate our heritage.”
“Lunar New Year has always been a time of gatherings, catching up with family and relatives, as well as enjoying the holidays,” said Johan Oon, campaign specialist in Singapore. “Lunar New Year with Sojern was a lot of fun this year, from two Lo Hei’s to meeting up with our colleagues in person to celebrate after so long."
At Sojern, we focus on our core value “Embrace Inclusion” by learning, understanding, and celebrating our differences. Celebrating the Lunar New Year around the world is a great way to bring our Sojern employees together.
To learn more about Sojern’s culture and core values, check out our careers page. Who knows, you just might find your next role!
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