With the coming of the Lunar New Year on February 17, you may feel the need for a deep refresh. Cleaning in preparation for the new year is both tradition and superstition in some cultures and a practice that has also gained global popularity. It’s an act of sweeping out misfortune, negativity, and bad luck in order to welcome fortune, prosperity, and more.

I love food… but who doesn’t?! Something ubiquitous among most, if not all, Asian cultures is that love and affection from parents are usually expressed through the sharing of food, love and affection from parents is usually expressed through food. In my household, offering a plate of cut fruit is the same as saying “I love you.”

According to the Chinese Zodiac, February 17, 2026 marks the end of the Year of the Snake and the beginning of the Year of the Horse. The new year celebrations come in many different names, but the values at the heart of it are the same. In many ways, Lunar New Year’s global nature, as well as its emphasis on family reunion, welcoming prosperity, and honoring ancestors, are captured through the medium of film.

If you’re feeling stuck like I did throughout my twenties, then I encourage you to keep an open mind and explore opportunities you wouldn’t have entertained before. Even if you’re not immediately successful in finding love, I guarantee you’ll also find new, maybe even different, friends outside your circle or like-minded people to add to your community. After all, building community starts there, and who knows, your next partner may be just around the riverbend.