On February 24, students gathered in the library as the NVD Chinese Club hosted its annual Lunar New Year celebration, featuring student performances, cultural activities, and traditional snacks brought and organized by club members.
Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture as well as a lot of other Asian cultures. Based on the lunar calendar, the holiday marks the beginning of a new year and is traditionally celebrated through family gatherings and special food.
Since 2008, the Chinese Club has continued a tradition of celebrating Lunar New Year at NVD through performances and cultural activities organized by students.
Chinese Club advisor Wenjie Liu said the celebration serves as an opportunity for students to share cultural traditions with the wider school community.
“The goal was to celebrate an important tradition while also building a sense of family and community at our school,” Liu said. “Lunar New Year is about bringing people together to eat, talk, and laugh, and it is meaningful for students here to experience that sense of connection.”
Among the performances featured during the celebration was a “hanfu” fashion show, which included traditional Chinese clothing and its historical significance.
Junior Ela Arslan, who participated in the performance, said preparing for the show involved researching the cultural background of the garments.
“I participated in the fashion show (汉服秀 hàn fú xiù) with Jade, Melina, and Sabrina,” Arslan said. “I spent an hour coordinating with my group members and formulating a historical description for my specific outfit, the Táng zhì hànfú (Tang-style Hanfu).”
Arslan explained that the clothing showcased in the performance reflects traditional cultural values associated with the holiday.
“My Tang-style Hanfu outfit relates to the Lunar New Year by showcasing traditional clothing that symbolizes luck, wealth, and a fresh start,” Arslan said.
In addition to the hanfu show, the celebration included a variety of performances such as singing, instrumental music, martial arts demonstrations, and a lion dance.
Sophomore Ava Wong, cultural coordinator of the Chinese club and host of the event, said she was especially proud of the students who participated in the performances.
“The part of the celebration I was most excited and proud about was all the performances, specifically the singing/instrument ones because I really enjoy music,” Wong said. “Every student who performed had to put in a lot of effort to make the event possible and I really appreciate the hard work.”
Wong added that she hoped the event would help students better understand the cultural meaning behind the holiday.
“I hope that students who attended the event were able to enjoy themselves and learn more about Chinese culture and history,” Wong said. “Lunar New Year is an extremely big event in Chinese culture, and sharing the traditions with others only makes it even better.”
Looking back on the event, Liu said the celebration was made possible through the combined efforts of students and staff.
“The hard work of the Chinese Club officers, the enthusiasm of the students, and the support from administrators helped turn this year’s celebration from an idea into reality in a very short time,” Liu said.
