Celebration focuses on culture
By Alannah DiBona
Old Gold and Black Reporter

> February 1, 2001

The university will once again be holding its Chinese New Year celebration Feb. 3, a tradition that was started last year by Cristina Yu, the document delivery librarian at the Z. Smith Reynolds Library. Yu began this event after receiving a grant from the office of Ethics and Leadership.

After being awarded the grant again this year, Yu has been instrumental in composing an even larger celebration, hoping to draw an even larger crowd than last year’s three hundred people.

“I hope everyone gets to see how we celebrate with the lion and dragon dances, and see our traditional crafts while enjoying themselves and our culture,” Yu said.

According to the Eastern calendar, the New Year is 4699, and it officially began Jan. 24. The lunar calendar followed by the Chinese associates each year as one of 12 animals. While 4699 is the year of the snake, it is also a leap year. Unlike the Western leap year, in which a single day is added to the year, the Chinese add an entire month to follow the patterns of the moon.

Each year, to bring in the spring season and the new lunar year, a lion dance is customarily performed to expel evil spirits, complete with firecrackers and costumes.

The university will be hosting a team of lion dancers from Greensboro that will present the traditional dance.

The lion dancers often perform during the spring season in Chinese restaurants and communities throughout the state. They can be seen performing indoors at 12 p.m. and again at 2 p.m., and will be accompanied by drummers and various instruments often seen in festivals to welcome in the new season.

The display this year includes several tables of catered traditional Chinese food and several areas to set up to allow the public to partake in cultural activities, such as the art of Chinese calligraphy and the creation of a traditional fish wallhanging.

Spectators can also watch the ancient New Year’s shuttlecock kick, learn how to do a simple Chinese macrame knot and participate in face painting. Several performances will be taking place, such as martial arts demonstrations and a children’s dragon dance.

The dragon, also symbolic in Chinese mythology, arts and literature, is used to prevent evil spirits from entering the New Year.

“For the Chinese, the new year symbolizes a new beginning,” sophomore Gary Fung, the vice president of the Asian Student Association said. “It is the time to refresh and to prepare for another fruitful year. Parents hope for their children to have better achievements in academics; sons and daughters will hope for their parents to live healthily and happily.”

All festivities are free, except for the catered meal, which is $5 per participant.

The celebration will take place between 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Feb. 3 in the theater lobby of Scales Fine Arts Center.

For more information regarding this event, please contact Yu at Ext. 5675.