Mark Zuckerberg is kind of the new face for interfaith marriage right now. Over the weekend, Zuckerberg celebrated the Chinese Lunar New Year with his wife Priscilla Chan, and their baby girl, Max. (In case you didn’t know, it’s the Year of the Monkey.)
During the video, Zuckerberg explained how Max also finally received her Chinese name, making the holiday even more meaningful. And the reasons they chose her name are heartfelt and thoughtful. They named her Chen Mingyu–her first name is after her mother’s family name, while Mingyu represents hope for a brighter tomorrow. That’s a powerful name to assign someone.
READ: The Moment My Queer Interfaith Family Finally Felt Like We ‘Fit In’
This rise in prominent interfaith families seems to time nicely with a wider acceptance of different cultures in general–of note, this year is the first time New York City public schools do not have school today for the Lunar New Year.
As someone who is part of an interfaith marriage myself, I can personally attest to how important it is to not only respect your partner’s own beliefs and cultural traditions, but to actually engage and integrate these traditions into your daily lives. Who we are–and how we came to be our present selves–is shaped by our families, by our roots. It’s inspiring for me to see how an interfaith couple is weaving their own beliefs in a way that feels authentic and meaningful.
Of course, there’s no right or wrong way to be part of an interfaith marriage, and the Zuckerberg-Chan way of doing things is only one way.
Watch the rest of their video below:
Happy Lunar New Year from Priscilla, Max and me! In the Year of the Monkey, I hope you and all your loved ones find happiness, health and good fortune.
Posted by Mark Zuckerberg on Saturday, February 6, 2016
