The Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Community Group at SUNY Old Westbury hosted a Lunar New Year Celebration in the Campus Center Atrium on February 21. There were many festivities like face painting, lantern crafts, photo booths, traditional dances, and holiday treats to help students, faculty, and staff discover the Lunar New Year traditions and culture.
The two week Lunar New Year is celebrated by Asian cultures all around the world. It is a chance for families and friends to connect through food, fireworks, festivities, and parades.
The Year of the Dragon began on February 10, 2024 and concludes on January 28, 2025. The dragon symbolizes power, nobility, success, luck, and honor. The color red symbolizes good fortune and joy.
Photo Credit: Joanna Vissichelli
Jian Fang, an academic advisor at the Academic Planning Center at SUNY OW, started the AAPI Community group last year to amplify the voices of the college’s Asian population. The success of AAPI events last year created a demand for bigger and more public events. “We came up with this idea and wanted to provide an opportunity for our students and faculty to get a chance to know the culture and traditions of Lunar New Year,” Fang explained.
Daniel Yu, a Chinese calligraphy artist at the event, spoke about the evolution of the artform from ink and brush to keyboards and screens. “Not too many people now would know how to use the brush and the ink on the rice paper, but it has a long tradition going back to, I would say, around maybe 3000 years.” In China there are calligraphy clubs for lovers of the art form. Yu said that calligraphy can be turned into money in China where his art is quite marketable. Very young children should try calligraphy. “First and foremost you got to like it, but school teaches it,” he said.
Daniel Yu celebrated the New Year with brush and ink. Photo Credit: Joanna Vissichelli
