Lunar New Year, which signifies the start of Spring and a new year, is a traditional holiday mainly celebrated by Asian countries. This year, Lunar New Year took place on February 1, transitioning into the year of the Tiger. This was also the first time Lunar New Year was an official holiday at Dana Hall after a petition was approved in the 2020-2021 school year, allowing students time off from classes to celebrate with family and friends.

The Asian Affinity Group (ASA) planned activities such as movies, board games such as mahjong and monopoly, and food such as xiaolongbao, milk tea, and more at the Erisman Student Center, providing a place for students who celebrate Lunar New Year to hang out with friends.

Liana Shi’24, a boarding student, who celebrated by going to Chinatown on the eve of Lunar New Year and attended the activities on campus with friends, said, “It was really fun because we haven’t had a hot pot for a really long time. We also did some shopping in Chinatown and got a lot of Asian snacks.” 

Sissi Wang’24, a day student and the co-head of ASA, celebrated during Lunar New Year eve. “This year, we made our own dough and filling and put a physical coin into the dumpling as a symbol of good luck. The rest of the time, we watched the Spring Gala, called our grandparents, and had a really nice dinner.” She also mentioned that her favorite show of the Spring Gala this year was a dance called “Zhi Ci Qing Lü (只此青绿),” describing it as a “really good combination of tradition and modern dance, and it also really expressed the culture really well.”

Other international students chose to return to their families or celebrate with their friends’ families.