Chinese Lunar New Year, which is also called the Spring Festival, marks the start of the lunar calendar year and usually falls between January and February. Eleanor Roosevelt High School decided to host an event on campus to celebrate this holiday with its students.
However, due to constant rainfall during that time, students and teachers hosting the event had to push it back two weeks to completely present the different aspects of Chinese culture to the numerous students and staff on campus.
Chinese Lunar New Year is a time to celebrate with family, honor ancestors, and welcome a new year full of hope and good fortune.
This holiday has its roots in an ancient legend about a creature called Nian, which would scare people at the beginning of the year. To protect themselves from Nian, people would use loud noises, fireworks, and red decorations to scare it off.
These aspects are still part of the celebrations today. Chinese Lunar New Year is a time for renewal, strengthening family bonds, and keeping old traditions alive.
Chinese classes hosting the event went early to prepare before both lunches, setting up the different stations for students to explore and rehearsing the various acts they were performing for the Eleanor Roosevelt High School students.
These performances ranged from lion dances, dragon dances, and fan dances to a fashion show and a magic show.
The stations contained a multitude of activities that students were able to interact and play with during this celebration including Jianzi (Chinese Shuttlecock), Wheel of Fortune, yoyos, and a picture booth.
While the booths were open with games and prizes, the performers executed each of their acts at the quad to entertain and display their culture.
“I had a lot of fun showing people how to play the Chinese yoyo. It was especially rewarding seeing the different students find themselves enjoying playing with the yoyos. I found enjoyment in showing them how to play and giving them candies and fortune cookies. The magic show was also really cool and I thought Mick was really talented” commented Becca Zhou, one of the seniors hosting this event.
“I was working one of the tables and it was so entertaining to watch the performances. I had fun handing out candy and snacks” said Rachel Cong, another senior that was hosting this event.
Students who participated in the games had fun, with many trying their hand at the different games this event had to offer.
This event single-handedly showed students the celebrations that occur during this holiday, allowing them to have a better understanding of the differences in cultures.
