By Anna Classon ’21

During the last week of January, DC’s international student organization and MCA (Multicultural Alliance) hosted their annual Lunar New Year celebration. This event aimed to spread joy, warmth, and blessings for the New Year, leaving everyone with positive memories, stronger connections to each other, and a deeper understanding of cultural diversity. 

This year, the international students collaborated with the student-run café, The Grounds, to offer Asian-themed beverages, including a special 20% discount on green tea lattes. Additionally, the cafeteria featured Asian menu items for the week; this year they added General Tso Chicken with miso soup. The MCA and the International Program co-hosted a Chinese New Year gathering during lunchtime, which featured presentations and games like Touhu (an arrow-throwing challenge) and a chopstick game where students moved pebbles to gain points. 

Additionally, 11th-grade students Cindy Kang and Selina Wang prepared presentations about Chinese New Year traditions and the Zodiac calendar to educate the student body. DC was also blessed to welcome Chinese immigrant pastor, Reverend Daniel Au, as a guest speaker at chapel. International student and junior Justin Qiu led the room in singing "Ten Thousand Reasons" in Chinese during worship which was especially moving. 

Lower school students were able to take part in the celebrations as well. Selina Wang and International Program Coordinator Hana Lu visited a 4th-grade class for a special storytime. They read traditional Chinese folktales followed by a Chinese game session. To conclude DC’s week of fun cultural activities, students were invited to a Chinese Hot-Pot Dinner, followed by the tradition of faculty giving students red envelopes with blessings and encouraging notes. 

As part of the Lunar New Year tradition, children in many Asian countries visit family and friends to receive small red envelopes filled with “lucky money” that symbolize good luck and blessings for the year ahead. DC continued this tradition by asking teachers to write personalized blessings and encouraging messages for the students that express both their love and Christ’s love for them. Some teachers even included lucky money with their notes. “Watching our students open the envelopes and read the heartfelt messages with happy faces is one of my greatest joys during Lunar New Year,” says Lu. 

“Lunar New Year is celebrated in many Asian countries, including China, Korea, Vietnam, and others, each with its own unique traditions and customs. While the majority of our international students are Chinese, which leads us to often focus on Chinese cultural practices, we recognize the importance of including and celebrating the diverse Asian traditions within our community,” explains Lu. “The goal of our celebration at DC is to highlight the traditions of all Asian cultures, ensuring that every student feels represented and valued during the celebration.” 

The hope is that those who attended gained a deeper understanding and appreciation of Asian cultural traditions, and learned or tried something new they might not have had the opportunity to do before.