Lunar New Year festival brings together David Douglas community
The Lunar New Year Festival held in the South cafeteria, brought together family and friends of the David Douglas Community for the new year of the cat/rabbit. The celebration was a hit. It was a collaborative event between the DDSD SUN program managers, the Asian Student Union, and the school’s equity department. Families and friends gathered in the cafeteria for traditional food, music, activities and live performances by students.
Dishes and drinks were completely free and served potluck style from local restaurants and families kitchens. Tables were set out for guests to relax and enjoy their food. Red envelopes were given to people along with tangerines which are believed to bring them good luck and prosperity. The envelopes contained chocolate coins and Vietnamese currency. Some people believe keeping the money filled red envelopes in their purses brings them more money. Throughout the night, students from ASU educated the crowd about the meaning of the Lunar New Year and about their traditions. In association with the Oregon Food Pantry, people had the opportunity to collect some free fruits as well as have teens sign up to be a youth leader in the pantry’s program. The fruits included plentiful mangoes, limes, and apples.
A fashion show was presented by students wearing their traditional attire. In addition to the fashion show, students showcased a lion dance which is meant to bring prosperity and good fortune to the community. In Chinese culture, the lion represents power and wisdom. Students also performed an upbeat and entertaining k-pop routine. Guests were also open to painting lanterns with their children and receiving free children’s books. Those who ran the stands were very welcoming and kind to every guest.
The festival conducted a raffle amongst the purchasing guests. The money prizes included 2 tickets to a Blazers game against the raptors that went to a community member, a $200 carpet cleaning gift card that went to Melissa Williams, $100 in cash that went to a community member, 2 more Blazer tickets that went to Cassy Wood, and many more. The festival took place on Friday, Jan. 20 from 5:30p.m to 7:30p.m.
This year, the festival celebrated the year of the cat and the rabbit. While most will celebrate the year of the rabbit in 2023, Vietnam is welcoming the year of the cat. The Vietnamese Lunar New year goes by Chinese lunisolar calendar. For inclusivity, the festival included both the cat and the rabbit to be represented in their festival. The 12 Chinese zodiacs are the Dog, Tiger, Rat, Dragon, Ox, Rabbit, Snake, Goat, Pig, Horse, Monkey, and Rooster.