Some people fear 2012 could mean the end of the world, but others see this year in a more positive light.

For those who celebrate Chinese New Year — or Lunar New Year — Monday marked an end to the Year of the Rabbit and the beginning of the Year of the Dragon.

Chinese New Year is based on the lunar calendar rather than the Gregorian, or Western calendar, which is why the date changes from year to year. And despite its name, the holiday is celebrated by more than people with Chinese ancestry.

People from several Asian countries observe the holiday, myself included.

As Cambodian Americans, my family and I celebrated Chinese New Year by presenting food for our ancestors, offered after a prayer. We allow time for them to “dine” first before we can enjoy the special feast, which featured — among other foods — fresh fruit, rice, fried noodles, roast duck, soup and assorted Cambodian desserts.

While this is pretty much the extent of how my family celebrates, there is much more to Chinese New Year.

One tradition is giving your home a thorough cleaning to sweep away last year’s bad luck and prepare your home for good luck. Purchasing new clothes and shoes as well as getting a haircut also symbolize a fresh start. Additionally, any outstanding debts are expected to be paid off before New Year’s Eve. This includes debts of gratitude, which is why it is common to send gifts and rice to extended family and close business associates.

One of the most well-known practices during Chinese New Year is passing out red envelopes. Red envelopes are given to children by adults as well as to unmarried young people by married couples. These envelopes almost always contain money in varying amounts ranging from a few dollars to several hundred — making it a shame that my family never participated in this tradition.

Fireworks are often lit during Chinese New Year to celebrate the joyful time of year. This tradition evolved from people burning gunpowder-filled bamboo stems in ancient China to drive away evil spirits.

And while bigger celebrations have been held in China and other Asian countries as well as Chinatowns throughout the country (Seattle’s Chinatown/International District‘s celebration is this Saturday), the City of Redmond also has a few events to celebrate Chinese New Year. The Old Fire House Teen Center held its annual celebration last Saturday, which included arts and crafts, a traditional lion dance and plenty of food. Additionally, the Redmond Senior Center is having a Lunar New Year Lunch Friday at 11:30 a.m. People were able to purchase tickets ahead of time and the event is sold out.

As I mentioned before, 2012 is the Year of the Dragon, meaning people born in this year are said to exhibit character traits of the dragon from the Chinese Zodiac. There are 12 zodiac animals, but the dragon is said to be the mightiest.

Dragons often exhibit dominance and ambition and prefer to live by their own rules; they’re driven, willing to take risks and unafraid of challenges. Dragons are passionate and enthusiastic in everything they do, which can unfortunately leave them feeling exhausted and sometimes unfulfilled.

So for any expectant parents this year like our editor Bill Christianson, I think it’s safe to say you’re going to have your hands full.

Samantha Pak is the staff writer for the Redmond Reporter. She can be reached at spak@redmond-reporter.com.