She ran to see her mom in the kitchen. "Is today Lunar New Year?" Sue asked her mom.

Mom smiled and said, "Tomorrow is the start of Lunar New Year, which will last for 15 days. China, Korea, and Vietnam use the moon to see when the new year starts."

"What do we do to prep?" Sue asked.

"First, we clean," said Mom. "We sweep dust and throw away old stuff to make room for new luck!"

Sue helped her mom sweep and then folded up a blanket. Sue's brother, Lewis, took the trash away. Soon, their home was clean and felt as good as new. After cleaning all day, Sue, Lewis, and their mom went to bed.

The next day, they woke up and put on new clothing. Then, they hung bright red and gold lamps by the door. "Why are the lamps red and gold?" Lewis asked.

''Red is for joy, and gold is for luck," Mom said. "We want this new year to be happy and lucky for all of us.''

Later that day, their pals came to visit with big plates of food. There was rice, fresh fish, and fruit.

Sue made a plate of food. "This is so yummy," she said. "It is nice to gather with people and eat good food."

That night, they went to the park. Under the bright full moon, people sat next to the pond. Boom! A man beat a drum, and people sang along.

Next, Sue, Lewis, and their mom went to see people march. There were lions with red fur and gold trim who jumped and spun. Lewis gave a grin and said, "This is fun!"

On the way home, Sue looked up at the moon. "It was fun to observe the new year. I cannot wait for next year."