Chinese New Year

Photo by Christina Barger
From left to right: World Languages and Cultures Center Lab Assistant Chiaki Troutman spends time with Gi Hyun Kim from Korea, Ngoc Chau Tran from Vietnam, and Jiapeng Song from China on Monday, Jan. 26, to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year, is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It consists of a period of celebrations, starting on the New Year’s Day, celebrated on the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar. It ends with the Lantern Festival, the fifteenth day of the month. Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese students often miss their home countries during this time of the year.

By Bishal Malla, Staff Writer

The Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year, is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. Chinese, as well as other Asian students, celebrated their largest festival with a small ceremony on Jan. 26, at the World Languages and Cultures Center at OCCC.

Asian students at OCCC find themselves missing home during this time of the year. Many international students often miss their home during the festivities because they cannot manage to celebrate here at United States, which they used to do with their families and relatives back home.

However, a few Asian students gathered at the World Languages and Cultures Center to celebrate together.

Chiaki Troutman, World Languages and Cultures Center lab assistant, gave free Chinese tea to all the students. She had also decorated the lab with some Chinese flowers.

“I decorated the lab with Chinese stuff to give Asian students a homely environment,” Troutman said.

Chinese New Year begins on the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th.

According to the website www.kalender-365.de, the Lunar calendar is based on the cycles of the moon phase and it consists of 12 Lunar months. The year 2009 in the Chinese calendar lasts from Jan. 26, to Feb.14, 2010. 

According to the information provided by the World Languages and Cultures Center, the lunar calendar is based on the phases of the moon and Chinese use it only to set holidays and festivals.

Jiapeng Song, a business major from China, recalls the holiday of her country.

She said, I miss my home today because we celebrate the New Year by staying with our family members, eating dumplings, long noodles and drinks.

“I am feeling sad because I have to come to school today when I was supposed to be with my family,” she said.

Chinese New Year celebrations are also common in some other Asian countries including, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam.  

Ngoc Chau Tran is an International student from Vietnam, located in southeastern Asia.

Tran came to the U.S. one and half years ago.

“Today I am missing my country a lot,” she said. “We celebrate New Year with all our family members eating, drinking, dancing and decorating houses and streets with flowers. “Today I don’t have anyone here to celebrate with.”

Each year the Chinese New Year holiday begins on a different date, depending on the lunar calendar. Every year of the lunar calendar is categorized to different animals like rat, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse and monkey.

Yi Fang Lin, from Taiwan said 2009 is the year of the Ox.

“We give an envelope with money inside it to our relatives,” she said.

Students, who want to celebrate festivals from their countries among themselves, or with other students, can go to the World Languages and Cultures Center, located on the second floor in the main building.

For more information contact Chiaki Troutman, World Languages and Cultures Center lab assistant at 405-682-1611, ext. 7104.