Lunar New Year: A Celebration of Heritage and Community

Highlighted by support from the Lunar New Year Gala by Comerica Bank

By André Averion, Communications Chair

Published February 7, 2025.

On Jan. 29th the nation celebrated Lunar New Year, one of the most significant holidays in many Asian cultures, with celebrations spanning all across the month of January and February here in DFW.

The first documented Lunar New Year celebration in the US was held on Feb. 1st, 1851, with the first parade taking place in the 1860s as Cantonese immigrants in San Francisco were eager to share their culture with those who were unfamiliar with it. 

Today in the United States this celebration takes traditions from China, Vietnam, Korea, The Philippines and other Asian nations, to mark the beginning of the lunar calendar and is associated with family gatherings, festive meals, and cultural performances. It is now a formally recognized holiday in the states of California, Colorado, New York, New Jersey, and Washington. 

While it’s not state recognized, several DFW businesses, schools, and local governments have also embraced Lunar New Year celebrations as a way to foster inclusivity and cultural appreciation, with over a dozen celebrations taking place. 

One such example is Comerica Bank’s annual Lunar New Year celebration in Dallas, hosted by its Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Business Resource Group. The event, held at Comerica Bank Tower, brought together business leaders, professionals, and community members to celebrate the occasion while fostering networking opportunities. 

Brandon Jones, Comerica’s National Director of External Affairs, highlighted the significance of the event. “This is all about gratitude,” Jones said. “This is not for me to sit up here and participate about how great we are, because we are a great bank, but I just want to give some good kudos to some great people.”

The evening featured a traditional lion dance performance, symbolizing luck and prosperity, and provided a platform for attendees to connect with Comerica representatives and local business owners. Comerica representatives encouraged business owners to engage with the bank’s resources, emphasizing the importance of financial support and networking. “We would love to earn your business or grow your business with you,” Jones told the crowd.

For the Filipino American community in North Texas, events like these reinforce their growing role in the region’s cultural and economic landscape. While Lunar New Year is not traditionally a major Filipino holiday, Filipino Americans have embraced its celebration in the U.S. as a way to connect with the broader Asian American community, providing key opportunities to network and expand.