AsIAm Leads Winsor in Celebrating Lunar New Year

January 19, 2023— The Winsor community participated in early Lunar New Year celebrations on Thursday during assembly and lunch. Building off of the momentum from last week’s performance of The Great Race, the affinity group AsIAm, Asians in America, led an assembly to welcome the Year of the Rabbit and share stories of holiday traditions in different cultures.

AsIAm heads shared some background info about the Lunar New Year and how it is celebrated in different cultures. The Lunar New Year is celebrated on January 22 this year in China and Korea, but in Japan it is always celebrated on January 1. The set of Zodiac animals also differs from culture to culture. While this new year in the Chinese Zodiac is the Year of the Rabbit, in the Vietnamese Zodiac it will be the Year of the Cat. Winsor audiences might remember how, according to Chinese folklore, the cat was excluded from the zodiac after the rats tricked them, as depicted in The Great Race

Continuing in the sharing of traditions, AsIAm members shared their favorite cultural traditions in a video shared with the community. Students spoke fondly of traditions such as celebrating the Dragon Boat festival (Mandarin: duanwu), which takes place at the end of June, eating different varieties of Mooncakes for the Moon Festival, and celebrating Korean New Year with traditional foods such as tteokguk (Korean rice cake soup) and bibimbap. Many spoke of the importance of family and food in their celebrations, and favorite foods such as hotpot and fish cakes. 

A highlight of the assembly, Upper School and Lower School AsIAm members took the stage to enthusiastic cheers as they presented spirited K-pop dances and skits. 

The celebration continued during lunch with an Asian-inspired menu from Chef Heather Pierce, and as well as games and crafts hosted by AsIAm outside of the dining hall. Winsor community members tried their hand at water calligraphy and brush painting, and practiced chopsticks skills by picking up marbles. There was also the opportunity to take photos against a Lunar New Year backdrop, and red packets, stickers, and candy as giveaways for the Winsor community.
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