The Chinese New Year celebration started on February 10th this year, marking 2024 as the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac. Also known as the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, it is one of the most important and widely celebrated holidays in Chinese culture. Lasting up to 16 days, the festival’s history is deeply rooted in ancient agricultural traditions, marking the end of winter and the beginning of spring. It is believed that the festival originated during the Shang Dynasty (around 1600–1046 BC) as a way to honor ancestors and deities, seeking blessings for a prosperous year ahead.
Over time, Chinese New Year has evolved to incorporate various cultural and religious elements, including ancestor worship, family reunions, and symbolic rituals aimed at ensuring good fortune and happiness for the coming year. It serves as a time for family gatherings, cultural performances, and the exchange of good wishes for prosperity, happiness, and good health in the coming year.
In addition to China, Chinese New Year is celebrated by millions of people around the world, especially in countries and regions with significant Chinese populations, such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and various Chinatowns across the globe.
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, “In 2018, Asians were 60 percent less likely to have received mental health treatment as compared to non-Hispanic whites.”
A Unique Approach to Addressing Stigma of Mental Health Conditions in the Asian Community
“The prevalence of stigma related to mental health issues is a widespread concern in Asian communities. Within our community, we’ve encountered unfortunate narratives of youth suicides stemming from a reluctance to seek timely assistance for mental health challenges,” said Lei Chen, Director of Community Outreach and a Board of Trustees member for Purple Swans. “With the objective to create a positive impact in people’s lives and promote Chinese performing arts within the community, we’ve started an initiative to enhance awareness regarding mental health, particularly among adolescents. Our aspiration is to play a role in reducing the stigma surrounding mental health, encouraging a greater number of individuals to seek support when necessary.”
Founded in 2014 by a group of dance professionals and enthusiasts, the Purple Swans Corporation, a Morristown-based non-profit, has made a staunch commitment to help break the stigma of mental health conditions both in the Asian community and the general public. The Purple Swans uses a unique, creative approach to promote mental health by interspersing dance performances with mental health messages. It employs a moving and impactful strategy to reach the audience.
“From Indian cave paintings of dancing figures dating back to 8000 B.C.E., dance has been part of human history, lending transcendence to spiritual rituals and creating bonds within communities. Dance is, at the very root, mental as well as physical. At Purple Swans, we believe in the power of using dance to bring people together and empower the disadvantaged, a goal resonating with that of MHANJ,” stated Maria (Jie) Wu, Chair of the Board of Trustees for Purple Swans.
Taking their commitment to mental health further, the organization has sponsored Mental Health First Aid and Question, Persuade, Refer suicide prevention gatekeeper training to members of the Asian community.
For more information about Chinese New Year, see: https://chinesenewyear.net/ or https://www.census.gov/newsroom/stories/lunar-new-year.html
For more information about the Purple Swans, see: https://www.purpleswans.org/.
