ACS celebrates Chinese Lunar New Year

by Jonathan Fung '12
NEWS EDITOR

To some students at Hamilton, the New Year comes twice a year. Everyone knows that Jan. 1 is New Years Day, but not many know that there is another New Year that occurred last Thursday, Feb. 3.

Despite its winter occurrence, Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year or “Spring Festival,” begins on the first day of the first month in the traditional Chinese calendar and ends with the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the holiday. The Chinese calendar occurs in cycles of 12 years, with each year representing a different animal.

This year is the fourth year in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac. The year of the Rabbit is generally associated with home and family, artistic pursuits, diplomacy and keeping peace.

In an effort to raise awareness of diversity and multiculturalism at Hamilton, the Asian Cultural Society (ACS) hosted the Lunar New Year Celebration on Wednesday, Feb. 9 in the Tolles Pavilion. The event had a strong showing with almost a hundred students showing up to celebrate in the festivities. The Lunar New Year celebration began with a presentation from two members of the club, ACS Co-Chair Yan Zhen ’13 and Matthew Ha ’14, who described the history and the importance of the New Year. Following the presentation by Zhen and Ha, traditional and popular music from Asia filled the room as hungry faculty and students lined up to feast on the delectable cuisine from the Asian Bistro and Grill in local New Hartford.
“Having a really big dinner for the Holiday is a great way to bring people together,” reflected Zhen. “It is a great way to incorporate the whole community and to spread awareness on campus.”

“I think that this event was a great way to learn about the Chinese New Year. Getting a taste of the cuisine and learning about the holiday really made this event special,” said Knute Gailor ’13.

The ACS strives to educate and familiarize people with diverse Asian cultures to obtain cultural enrichment. In addition to hosting the Lunar New Year celebration, the ACS was also involved with last semester’s Diwali celebration.

Besides the two celebration events, the ACS also hosts tea ceremony parties with teas from India, Vietnam, China, Korea and other Asian countries. The club works towards promoting diversity to the college campus by hosting holiday events, gatherings, guest lecturers and documentary showings. The club has grown over the years, mostly from the strong presence and involvement of new members.

The ACS has plans to continue collaborating with other groups on campus, to spread awareness for Holi, the “Festival of Colors,” a traditional Indian Holiday. This year, Holi begins on March 20. The club is excited to collaborate with other clubs and organizations to present this event to Hamilton later this spring.