From a dragon dance to dumplings and hot pot, Los Altos High School’s Asian cultural clubs and classes have spent months preparing for their Lunar New Year celebrations. Their efforts will culminate in a two-day lunch event, Feb. 24 and 25.
“Even though throughout these countries, the cultures are so different, we all have a really good time sharing snacks, costumes and performances,” Korean Culture Club member sophomore Cerise Wong said.
Among the many clubs celebrating Lunar New Year, Korean Culture Club took the lead in organizing quad activities, according to Cerise. There, students can try Korean snacks, such as banana milk and Korean candies, while playing classic games like Manner Beans and Gonggi.
When Korean Culture Club started planning the event, they invited other clubs to join as well. Cerise said they accepted applications from non-cultural clubs last year, but found that only clubs connected to Asian culture were interested. This year, they reached out to those same groups.
“We’re compressing the festival to a 30-minute lunch event across two days,” Korean Culture Club co-president sophomore Jungsoo said. “So, it is going to be a bit watered down, but we can still have the spirit of the holiday come through.
In addition to the Korean Culture Club, Chinese Culture Club will be cooking dumplings; Taiwanese Student Union cooking hot pot; Asian American Student Union hosting the Vietnamese game Bau Cau Ca Cop; and Mahjong Club hosting mahjong.
“It’s cool to see these cultures shared with the outer community,” Cerise said. “For people who don’t usually celebrate, I hope it will be a way for them to explore [different cultures].”
Beyond clubs, students in Mandarin language classes will perform a dragon dance, involving a traditional, long red dragon puppet and mask.
The event will also feature musical performances: senior Fiona Yao will play “Chun Dao Xiang Jiang” (Spring Arrives on Xiang River) on the guzheng, a classic Chinese string instrument, and Chamber Symphony Orchestra will play “A Place in the Distance.” The Acapella Club and Korean Pop Dance Club will also perform.
These activities will honor and recognize the Lunar New Year. Officially celebrated on Feb. 17, it recognizes the coming of spring and the hope of prosperity and fortune in the new calendar.
According to Jungsoo, the Lunar New Year originated as an agricultural festival tied to the moon cycle. Different cultures celebrate with traditional food and attire.
“I want my students to know that they are not just learning textbook Chinese,” Mandarin teacher Connie Chen said. “They are immersing themselves in the culture and since the Lunar New Year is one of our most important festivals, we must celebrate it.”
The Chinese classes will also film videos of their students dancing and singing songs such as “Fu Qi Ma Shang Lai” — translating to “Good luck is coming soon” — sent to their families and staff members.
“We want to bring the spirit of joy, happiness and good luck to our community,” Chen said. “The performances are a great opportunity to bring everyone together, whether they speak Chinese at home or not.”
