The window blown open sways, and the years come with the wind. The rain nourished the ground with a light shining in the distance. Across every hillside the sound of drums starts falling through the leaves. The appearance of the tree is unforgettable; people will write and tie red wishes upon the blessing tree again. The blessing tree that remembers the wishes from last year. Let the spring light come and the winter moon listen.
At the end, everyone will see the bright colors of red and feel the warm wishes of a candlelight. No matter how dim, you can follow it to the warmth of the Lunar holiday.
As the Lunar New Year comes to a close, Las Positas celebrates the last day of the Lunar Festival on Feb. 12. Event coordinators Sui Song and Julie Nguyen hosted an event filled with games and activities to share the cultures, traditions, and festivities.
Students enjoyed learning calligraphy from Song, who taught how to write the Mandarin word “福,” which means good fortune. If you flip it upside down, it symbolizes good fortune flowing into your home or wherever you decide to post it.
“I had a lot of fun learning calligraphy at this event, and I think this is a beautiful way to celebrate the culture,” student attendee Pehnina-Shanelle Faatavalofa said. “It shows how much the people of this community value hard work. I plan to hang the calligraphy art on my wall for good fortune.”
WISHING ON A TREE: LPC student Maxiniliano Gomez places a red tag onto a scaled down wishing tree in the LPC cafeteria on Feb. 12. In accordance with Lunar New Year tradition, wishes are written on paper and thrown into a tree — if a paper stays in the tree, the writer’s wish will come true within the new year. (Photo by Ian Kapsalis/ The Express)
Students and faculty had the opportunity to learn from the different booths about the festival’s traditions. One booth that was featured at the event taught students how to use chopsticks and had them play small challenges such as picking up beans and putting them into a cup.
Proper chopstick etiquette is rooted deeply in Asian culture and represents a bond due to their paired nature to further connect the students to the traditions of the Lunar New Year. Nguyen passed out snacks to students and faculty, including snacks from Vietnamese and Chinese cultures. Each bag represented a different Chinese Zodiac and included a brief explanation of the zodiac’s characteristics.
“Sui Song and I decided last year that we wanted to bring more Asian culture to Las Positas as many Koreans, Chinese and Vietnamese people celebrate this holiday,” Nguyen said. “So this event is mainly about spreading the knowledge and festivities around campus, bringing luck and prosperity to Las Positas, and showing off more of our culture.”
This event brought many students together to celebrate an important holiday in Asian culture, allowing them to connect with their community and share the festivities of the Lunar New Year.
“This is a really significant event for our campus community. It really shows our pride in celebrating culture,” President Dyrell Foster said. “This Lunar New Year event reflects our diverse campus, community, our students, our company and staff. So it’s really exciting, and it’s a great way to celebrate the Lunar New Year here on campus.”
The event concluded with a Lion Dance, presented by Tomizaki’s Champions Kung Fu and Lion Dance Team. The Lion Dance is a tradition important to many Chinese festivals. It symbolizes good fortune, power and wisdom and dispels evil spirits.
Dance Coordinator Steffani Tomizaki shared, “We want to bring joy to the people here at Las Positas. We like seeing the smiles on people’s faces, and the whole idea of the Lion Dance is to bring good luck and happiness.”
The Lunar New Year holiday is considered the most essential holiday in Asian culture. At the core of the holiday is celebrating family and community, spending time with loved ones, and enjoying food together. The event honored the holiday tradition of celebrating with the community, allowing all students to learn and experience the festivities and appreciate the rich heritage behind the celebration.
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TOP PHOTO: Members of the Tomizaki’s Champions Kungfu and Lion Dance team perform during the Lunar New Year Festival, hosted in the LPC cafeteria on Feb. 12. A tradition believed to bring good luck and fortune, the troupe demonstrates a lion dance for the gathered crowd. (Photo by Ian Kapsalis/The Express)
Angelina An is a Staff Writer for The Express.
