Marian Celebrates Asian Traditions with Chinese New Year

By J1 Reporter Izumi Huang Fujiwara Many people celebrate the New Year with resolutions, falling disco balls and sparklers, but in Asia, the holiday is marked by bright red clothing, festive foods and a pause on cleaning. At Marian, the community has its own special way of celebrating. The popular Asian festival has spread throughout…

mariandigitalnetwork

February 27, 2025

2–3 minutes

Chinese Food, Chinese New Year, community, culture, diversity and inclusion, Diversity Board, Lunar New Year, world language club

**A yummy snack!** Mrs. Sicong Mills serves a vegetarian dumpling while cooking. The other pot cooks some meat dumpling that were shared with students at the Chinese New Year Celebration on Feb. 5. Photo by Izumi Huang Fujiwara

By J1 Reporter Izumi Huang Fujiwara

Many people celebrate the New Year with resolutions, falling disco balls and sparklers, but in Asia, the holiday is marked by bright red clothing, festive foods and a pause on cleaning. At Marian, the community has its own special way of celebrating.

The popular Asian festival has spread throughout the United States, gaining widespread appreciation. This 15-day celebration has also found a home at Marian since the introduction of Mandarin classes in 2020.

**Folding Fun!** *Origami was folded at the Marian Chinese New Year Celebration. Origami is originally a Japanese art that uses folding to make shapes and 3D objects. Photo by Izumi Huang Fujiwara*

Mrs. Sicong Mills, a Mandarin teacher and co-moderator of the World Language Club, celebrates the holiday with both her family and her students. Born and raised in China, she is deeply familiar with Chinese culture and New Year traditions.

On Feb. 5, the Marian community marked the Chinese New Year with an event organized by Mills. The celebration featured dumplings, traditional candy, mochi, dragon dancing and live music—all elements of an authentic Chinese New Year festival.

**Music!** *Student junior Luna (Jingxin) Zheng aids a performer in her performance. The musician plays the koto giving Marian students a new experience. Photo by Izumi Huang Fujiwara*

This year’s celebration differed from last year’s with the inclusion of traditional Chinese instruments. “China has galas; you cannot have a show without [music]… not everyone can play it, but it is one of the performances you need to have,” Mills said. She emphasized that experiencing live music is an important way for the community to immerse itself in Chinese culture.

While the school event brought people together, many students also celebrated at home. Senior Elizabeth Nguyen shared that her favorite family tradition is “getting money… it is the only tradition we really participate in.” However, she noted that she doesn’t see any extended family during this time, saying, “It is winter in America, and in Vietnam, it is not.”

Although she comes from a Vietnamese family, Nguyen said many of their traditions closely resemble Chinese New Year customs. “A lot of the traditions really cross over… the difference is the names,” she said. “In Asian culture, making yourself new and cleansing is part of the New Year traditions.”

Across the world, people welcome the New Year with resolutions, parties and symbols of good luck. In America, the Chinese/Lunar New Year has become an integral part of the cultural landscape, bringing vibrant celebrations to places like Marian.