A Lunar New Year event at Delta drew crowds to Danner Hall on Feb. 8. Sponsored by EPIC (Empowering Positive Initiatives for Change), ASDC and APIASA (Asian and Pacific Islander American Staff Association), the event was the first of its kind on campus. It comes after the college officially recognized Lunar New Year as a holiday.
All students were welcome and those who attended were able to eat foods that are traditionally associated with the holiday.
“I’m a part of EPIC,” said Ema Fua, one of the speakers at the event. “I’m gonna talk about what Lunar New Year means and what the food means,”
Several of the traditional dishes associated with Lunar New Year have specific meanings — such as dumplings, which represent fortune and prosperity
During Fua’s presentation, they highlighted the importance of Lunar New Year as a holiday for coming together with family, a sentiment shared by the director of the EPIC Susan Vang.
“Family, sharing a meal with family,” said Vang, who was instrumental in the organization of the event. “It’s a time for us to stop, and give well wishes.”
“It feels like a part of me. It’s inclusivity,” said Vang, who hoped that the event would not only be a way for students who already celebrate the holiday to express it but to also give students who may have never celebrated a way to experience it.
“I think it’s good to learn about other cultures and customs, ” said Sam Taylor, a Delta College student who attended the event. Sam’s experience with Lunar New Year was limited, but he came away from the event pleased.
“This seems like a cool event,” he said.