The Chinese Student Association at Cal State Long Beach is taking the lead in celebrating Chinese Lunar New Year.
Although the actual new year fell on Feb. 14, the CSA is hosting its second annual Chinese Lunar New Year Festival on Monday in the USU Ballrooms from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The Year of the Tiger is the third sign in the Chinese zodiac cycle, which represents 12 animals corresponding to a 12-year cycle.
Every animal has particular characteristics, and people born in a specific year are believed to carry those traits. The tiger, or “hu” in Cantonese, symbolizes courage, leadership, bravery and intelligence. People born in the Year of the Tiger are said to have charismatic personalities who take on the role of a protector.
CSA Treasurer James Kuang said pictures of Chinese tigers will be hung on the ceiling and placed on tables for the club’s event.
“The CSA is hosting a mini festival to show our campus community what the Chinese Lunar New Year is like,” Kuang said. “The event will include five different booths of complimentary Chinese food, caricatures, calligraphy [provided by the Calligraphy Club], craft-making and even traditional Chinese clothes fittings for the public.”
The lion dance is a popular recreation for the Chinese during their new year festivities. Kuang said there wasn’t a performance last year or this year because they could not find an appropriate group to perform.
Although there won’t be any lion dancers, there will be kung fu demonstrations provided by the Kung Fu Club throughout the night.
During Chinese Lunar New Year, red envelopes are given to the younger generation by parents, grandparents, relatives and friends. These envelopes hold money, often decorated with Chinese characters, which symbolize luck and wealth.
Red is the theme color of the lunar festival to bring good fortune. Kuang said all kinds of red envelopes will be displayed at the event.
Organizations such as the Vietnamese Student Association, Kung Fu Club and Calligraphy Club will participate in this year’s event.
“We all prepared for the event by doing research on the Chinese Lunar Festival,” said CSA President Jason Hoang. “We created poster boards, made flyers, brainstormed activities and made sure that the event would be enjoyable for everybody.”
Kuang said the event will be very similar to last year’s festival and will hold the same traditional values of celebration.
He also mentioned the event might not be as big of a turnout this year because the CSA did not work with the USU Program Council. Last year, a member from the USU Program Council contacted the CSA. This year, club members decided to take the lead for the event.
“We hope the Chinese Lunar Festival will be our signature event that we can be known for,” Kuang said. “This event will eventually get bigger and expand further as the years go on with more performances and entertainment.”
CSA club members believe that by taking a more active role in Long Beach’s community, they can help others better understand Chinese culture.
“This semester, the CSA plans to hold events such as Chinese Heritage Night and Tai Chi workshops that lead to a path of health and self-defense,” Kuang said. “These events will share the customs and values of Chinese tradition with students.”