Year of the RABBIT

Students redefne

by Claudia Turner

Affteen-day celebration ending in an assemblage of colorful lanterns strung through street after street. A gathering of relatives on the eve of Chinese New Year, ready to taste their homemade dumplings and hopefully fnd a coin stufed in the middle. A family goes out for dinner and meets up with friends at their local Chinese eatery. Chinese New Year is a holiday celebrated worldwide with varied customs and traditions, and there's no one way to celebrate.

"Most years, I'm far away from my family, who live in China," senior Chiana Fujiwara said. "So on New Year's, we make sure to call them to stay in touch. We also eat brations outside the classroom that mean the most, as Chinese New Year is one of the only opportunities he has to connect with his relatives abroad.

"Chinese New Year is pretty important to my family because it brings us together. If we didn’t have Chinese New Year, I doubt we’d be seeing each other every year," said Lim. "In-person gatherings are the best because you get to meet your distant cousins and your long-lost relatives, people you're related to that you might not have even known existed."

Chinese New Year can also be a time to connect with one's heritage and culture. For Chinese-American students, it can be hard to fnd the space to enjoy and express their identity to the fullest. For people like Fujiwara, who has struggled in the past with feelings of unacceptance due to her Chinese heritage, Chinese New Year presents a valuable opportunity to remember to embrace herself and her roots.

INFORMATION FROM NATIONAL TODAY dumplings with coins in them, because it's supposed to bring fortune and good luck. Those values are a big part of Chinese New Year in general."

Chinese New Year, sometimes called "Lunar New Year” or “Spring Festival,” is one of the lengthiest and most signifcant holidays in Chinese culture. It's a time to participate in various traditions, reunite with relatives and honor family members who have passed away. It is customary to start the festivities on New Year’s Eve and continue until Lantern Festival, which is celebrated 15 days thereafter. Since the holiday observes the lunisolar calendar, a calendar that follows both the phases of the moon and the positioning of the sun, the exact date changes yearly. Unfortunately for RUHS' only Chinese language teacher Cathy Wang, this year's Chinese New Year falls on Jan. 22, causing the time of preparation to directly coincide with fnals week.

"We'll have to adjust a bit because I don't want my students distracted from their studies," Wang said. "Next year, Chinese New Year will take place in February, so I'm planning on doing something big for the whole school. But as of right now, we're going to celebrate after the second semester begins, and we'll be sure to keep it easy and simple, just a taste for what's to come."

For sophomore Enzo Lim, it's his cele-

"One year we went to Beijing, and that was the most genuine experience that I've had with Chinese New Year," Fujiwara said. "I had dealt with a lot of internalized racism growing up. But taking that trip to Beijing and exploring my culture and experiencing Chinese New Year with my family turned my self-loathing into appreciation. Ever since then, I think I've been pretty proud to be Chinese."

Indeed, Chinese New Year in China is “pretty spectacular” and has a vastly diferent "feel" than Chinese New Year in America, according to Wang, whose status as a Shenyang city native means she has frsthand experience in all of the various traditions and events celebrated throughout mainland China.

"No matter where you live, you have to travel back home during New Year to see your family. We eat a lot of food, and the Chinese New Year's gala is broadcast from 8 pm until midnight, maybe a little bit later," Wang said. "There are so many amazing freworks. And everything is red because it's the national color and is considered lucky."

But due to travel constraints, high costs and other factors, namely the COVID-19 pandemic, many families don't get the opportunity to travel abroad for Chinese New Year. Instead, they reach out in other ways, making dumplings over the phone or hopping on a Zoom call to communicate with faraway friends and family. According to Lim, all of these are just as valid as any other way of honoring the importance of Chinese New Year, especially for teens who might not be as connected to their heritage as they would like.

"Do Chinese New Year the way you want to, whether that's just going out to dinner and calling grandma, or traveling thousands of miles to Singapore," Lim said. "At some point, you might become more complex with your way of participating in traditions, but it's okay to take it slow and level up year by year to reach that goal. Chinese New Year, no matter how simple or traditional your celebration is, is open for everyone to enjoy."