This past week, community members rang in the Year of the Horse with Lunar New Year celebrations across campus. From Feb. 14 through Feb. 19, student organizations held events including a traditional dragon dance at the Hopkins Center for the Arts, dumpling making and karaoke at the Chinese Language House.
On Feb. 17, approximately 100 students attended the annual Spring Festival celebration at the Chinese Language House, sponsored by the Asian societies, cultures and languages department, according to Chinese language lecturer Lei Yan. The event featured dumpling making, calligraphy, knot tying, paper cutting, trivia and karaoke.
Carter Anderson ’26, one of the activity coordinators at the Chinese Language House, said he first attended the celebration as a freshman and helped organize this year’s event alongside the house professor and undergraduate advisors.
He said the event offers a space for students studying Mandarin to practice the language while engaging with cultural traditions.
Mutong Qi ’28, another activity coordinator at the house, described the celebration as one of the largest events of the year for the community. The house included traditional crafts, such as Chinese knot tying, with more social activities like karaoke, she added.
According to Yan, the event has been held in the Chinese Language House for over 40 years. Qi, who also serves as a Chinese drill instructor, added that hosting the celebration in the language house made it feel especially meaningful.
“I like that it’s in the Chinese Language House,” Qi said. “It feels homey for me.”
Yan said she hopes students left with a deeper understanding of the holiday.
“Hopefully the students enjoyed the food, enjoyed the activities and want to know more about the spring festival, the most important festival in China,” Yan said. “And they want to explore more about the language and culture.”
Dartmouth Dining hosted a Lunar New Year dinner at the Class of 1953 Commons on Feb. 16. Guest experience manager Haishan Li, who helped organize last year’s inaugural dinner service celebration, helped coordinate this year’s menu after a "great time" last year, she wrote in a written statement to The Dartmouth.
Other organizations and student groups also hosted celebrations throughout the week. On Feb. 15, the Chinese Culture Society held a Lunar New Year event in the Class of 1982 Engineering and Computer Science Center.
Approximately 260 community members attended a dragon dance and martial arts demonstration at the Hopkins Center for the Arts on Feb. 14, according to Hopkins Center impact and community alliance manager Aaron Rivkin.
Rivkin added that the center partnered with the Asian Cultural Center of Vermont to lead the festivities, which also included Tai Chi and dance performances.
“Everybody seems so excited to come in,” Rivkin said.
Rivkin added that the event marked the first time the Top of the Hop hosted a family-centered Lunar New Year celebration that brought together students and Upper Valley residents.
The Hood Museum of Art also hosted Lunar New Year art-making activities on Feb. 14, including red envelope decorating and a book nook. Hood programs and events manager Sharon Reed said about 230 people attended the event.
According to museum educator Catherine Coggins, two staff members brought items used to celebrate Lunar New Year in their cultures for “Discovery Tables,” which is a first time event showcasing different celebration items.
Coggins said it was “wonderful” to have people share their personal experiences with the community. Additionally, the Pan Asian Community hosted a joint celebration of Ramadan and Lunar New Year on Feb. 19, bringing together students to recognize both holidays in a shared space.
Anh-Ton Nguyen ’26, a Pan-Asian student coordinator at OPAL, said the Lunar New Year and the start of Ramadan fall within a few days of each other this year, which will also happen over the next two to three years. Ramadan is tied to the Islamic lunar calendar and involves fasting and fast-breaking evening meals called iftars.
“The big thing about this Lunar New Year-Iftar celebration and gathering is promoting, being present together in the same space and having multiple of our communities in celebration … of our cultural traditions around the moon,” Nguyen said.
