This year, Oxford’s cultural clubs Chinese Language and Culture (CLC), Vietnamese Student Association (VSA), Korean Student Association (KSA), and Japanese Club (OAJC) celebrated Lunar New Year (Jan. 29) throughout the week of January 27. The week’s activities showcased the diverse student body’s cultural pride through activities such as traditional games, snack sampling, and fashion show.
Lunar New Year, one of the most important holidays in the Eastern and Southeastern spheres of Asia, traditionally lasts 15 days long and follows the lunar calendar according to the moon’s phases, thus landing on different days each year of the Gregorian calendar. The holiday celebrates the coming of Spring, sometimes called “Spring Festival,” and usually involves fireworks, the lucky color red, lion dances, and family-centered activities.
“My favorite part of Lunar New Year week at Oxford is seeing what different culture clubs have to offer in terms of their culture, food, even their fashion. I think it’s really interesting to see how it varies from country to country,” said junior and CLC President Jaden Zhang.
The Chinese Language and Culture club’s activity on Wednesday included a crafts table, where Oxford students could make handicraft red lanterns, which are an integral part of the iconic red image associated with Lunar New Year. Traditionally, red paper in the form of lanterns, couplets, and firecrackers are posted outside homes to ward off evil for the new year.
“We’re banking off of Squid Game right now, because it uses traditional games, so we’re going off with the Squid Game idea, and we’re also giving out food,” said senior and KCA President Hailey Kim. “Korean people, in the morning [of Lunar New Year], we eat tteokguk, which is a rice cake soup.”
The Korean Culture Club distributed auspicious traditional snacks for Oxford students to sample on Thursday, spreading cultural awareness and good fortune for the new year.
“[For] Lunar New Year, it’s very traditional to give out red envelopes, usually it’s the elderly that give it to children, but we wanted to give [children] the opportunity to give it to people that they choose and they love,” said senior and VSA President Nolan Nguyen.
Instead of crisp bills, the Vietnamese Student Association gave students the chance to write their Lunar New Year affirmations on red envelopes to give to fellow classmates and loved ones. Meanwhile, OA Japanese Club displayed Hanetsuki, a new year’s game played with paddles and a shuttlecock.
“We’re doing a regular new years activity to publicize our club and have other people — both in and outside of the club– get in touch with what the culture’s like. Even though our activity is not directly related to the lunar new year specifically, I thought it would still be great to take this opportunity to show our culture nevertheless,” said sophomore, OAJC president Sakura Nguyen.
With the year of the snake arriving, be sure to wish your friends and family good fortune for the upcoming year!
