Ringing in the year of the tiger, the Asian-American Students Association (AASA) and the Chinese Students and Scholars Association are co-hosting the tenth annual University of Miami Lunar New Year Festival on Feb. 7th, 2022 at 6 p.m at Lakeside Patio.
“Typically, the year of the tiger is most associated with bravery and courage. I think as an organization we have to keep planning great events and asserting our place on campus,” said senior Zach Ng, AASA president.
“That is really important in the wake of anti-Asian American hate and we are working on some incredible programs,” Ng continued.
Celebrated by over 1.5 billion people worldwide, the Lunar New Year represents the beginning of a calendar year based on moon cycles or the lunisolar calendar. Representing good fortune, family and giving thanks, the start of the new year represents preparations and new beginnings.
“This is an incredible decade of celebrating in terms of Asian triumph above the international and Asian American identity at UM,” said senior Bao Duong, AASA vice-president.
This year’s festival will include various activities, performances and opportunities to try food from numerous Asian cultures. Some of the activities available include learning how to do traditional calligraphy, reading zodiac signs, horoscopes and various traditional Asian board games.
“It is important to understand how diverse the Asian-American community is. Typically, Lunar New Year is celebrated by a lot of East and Southeast Asian countries but we are excited to have some South Asian performers too,” Ng said.
Moving to the beat of the tycoon drums, several cultural organizations will be performing traditional dances and music including the traditional Chinese lion dance and Japanese fushu daiko drumming.
If interested in joining the celebration, RSVP online here.