party: Last News

From underground queer raves in London to crafting new traditions in Shanghai, here’s how the Year of the Snake is being celebrated.

WORDS BY ZOYA RAZA-SHEIKH
HEADER DESIGN BY YOSEF PHELAN

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN 2024 AND HAS BEEN UPDATED IN-HOUSE.

Lunar New Year is upon us and it’s the year of the Snake. An annual 15-day cultural tradition, Lunar New Year marks the beginning of spring and the arrival of the new year. 

For many of us, celebrations centred around family and heritage can be a difficult time, whether it’s down to identity reasons or not, but that doesn’t always have to be the case. Togetherness – no matter what that looks like to you – can be found in ways that allow all aspects of your identity to feel seen.

So, to mark the Year of the Snake, we spoke to members of the LGBTQIA+ ESEA community – across London, Malaysia, Madrid and China – to hear how they unite cultural tradition and their queer identities as they get ready to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

Jojo, 32, who spends time across London and Malaysia, connects with her queerness and East Asian community through parties in the UK capital and underground queer events in Kuala Lumpur. “I try to attend queer community Lunar New Year parties in London such as GGI 끼 who are putting on a night with Eastern Margins. While I’m celebrating Lunar New Year in Malaysia, I’ve been able to attend local underground queer events,” she says. “Despite the limitations on the queer community in Malaysia, these experiences are some I’ll never forget.” 

The significance of coming together can be found in discreet raves (or punk parties in Jojo’s case), however, for London-based Bóxī, 32, Lunar New Year is all about reconnecting with the queer community and tradition. Lunar New Year has helped them “explore” what it means to be lesbian, non-binary and Asian-Australian. “I’ve found a queer Asian community who have made me feel able to merge those aspects of my identity,” they share. “This involves