California Lutheran University students and faculty rang in the Lunar New Year with cultural meals and traditions hosted by the Center for Global Engagement on Friday, Feb. 7.
“We truly believe by learning and educating oneself about other traditions and cultures people come closer to one another,”Assistant Director of the Office of Education Abroad and Lead to the Educational Outreach Programs for the Center for Global Engagement, Azar Amir-Mokri said.
The event featured a performance by Andy Hangyu, a Cal Lutheran international student from China.
“I just want to represent China. I’m a Chinese student here. I don’t think we have a lot of Chinese students in the school, so I got to stand up, I got to represent my country, you know, for this special event,” Hangyu, who sang at the event.
Additionally, a second performance by the Taiko Drummers of Camarillo took place at the celebration.
Amir-Mokri said many countries celebrate Lunar New Year, including China, Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Mongolia, and Indonesia.
“It’s really important to us because, you know, it’s the New Year so you gotta celebrate it. And it’s a really good time for bringing in fortune … this is also a good time for wishing our other family members good health, prosperity, happiness, you know all those things. It’s just a good way to start everything,” first-year student Ava Watanabe said.
Hangyu said it feels special to celebrate the New Year on the Cal Lutheran campus since he can not be back home in China to celebrate the holiday.
Students and Faculty were invited to engage in activities celebratory of the Year of the Snake. Activities included cookie decorating and chopstick competitions where students competed in picking up gummy snakes from a dish.
“Snake is a symbol of wisdom, strategy, and intuition. People born under the sign are known for their calm demeanor and sharp thinking,” Amir-Mokri said.
The Center for Global Engagement also partnered with Sodexo to provide customary Lunar New Year cuisine including noodles, fortune cookies, dumplings, egg rolls, and mandarin oranges.
“We try to not only serve food, show performances, [but] invite people in the community that know more about these traditions,” Amir-Mokri said.
The Center for Global Engagement handed out pamphlets with information and facts about the Lunar New Year and its traditions to students as they walked through the Student Union.
Despite the unforeseen weather, and change in location from Kingsmen Park to the Student Union building, Amir-Mokri said she is “so happy it [was] such a beautiful turnout.”
