HONG KONG (AP) — During Lunar New Year celebrations, the vibrant color red symbolizes good fortune and family togetherness — a hue designed to welcome loved ones back home while carrying hopes for the coming year.
The symbolic shade appears at doorways and decorates interior walls. It weaves through ceremonial prayers and encases traditional meals. When incense burns, red rises and disperses into the sky.
Throughout many Asian nations — where this celebration goes by names like Spring Festival, Tet, or Seollal — the new year features time-honored customs believed to unite communities against hardship while attracting prosperity. This year’s celebration ushers in the Year of the Horse, representing one of twelve creatures in the traditional Chinese zodiac cycle.
Photographers documented how red appears everywhere from large community festivals to quiet personal moments in homes.
