Lunar New Year is a time for immediate and extended families to gather. The holiday is celebrated in countries across Asia, including China, Korea, and Indonesia, and by many Buddhists and Asian Americans in the United States. 

This year, the school celebrated the Year of the Dragon with chapel talks, a performance in Walker Auditorium, a feast in the FFC, and a night of cultural activities in the Student Center. 

On February 5 and 8, Mike Xu ’24, Ella Yu ’24, Jeffrey Lin ’25, and Maddie Sada ’26 shared stories of their Lunar New Year traditions in Chapel. Xu said, “The Lunar New Year celebration gives us the chance to reconnect with family and friends and is also the start of a new season. I have found that my time here at Hotchkiss has been a new beginning and a challenge; however, fighting through this challenge, I have been rewarded with the most valuable things in my life. This Lunar New Year, I encourage everyone to try new things and face challenges.” 

Festivities continued with a student showcase during All-School on Friday featuring rap, song, dance, and instrumental performances. Remy Lee ’26 played a traditional Korean wind instrument called taepyeongso. Ophelia Cham ’25 led members of the dance program in a fan dance, joined onstage by dragon and lion dancers. 

Ms. Jingxia Yang, Chinese program coordinator and instructor of Chinese, said, “What a great way to start the Year of the Dragon together! The true spirit of the holiday was displayed through the students’ singing and dancing. The instrumental pieces showcased legends and traditions. I feel blessed to be part of this great residential community, which I see as one big family.”

The week culminated in a special dinner at the FFC. The New Year’s Eve dinner, or Nian Ye Fan, is a time when family and friends come together to celebrate the new year. 

This year’s Nian Ye Fan included Cantonese barbecue pork, fried dumplings, and Shanghai chow mein. Mr. Mike Webster, director of dining services, traveled to New Jersey with students’ parents to pick up ingredients. 

Mr. Webster said, “The parents and I buy all of the dumplings, steam buns, and snacks at the Asian Food Markets. We cook the dumplings and steam buns here on the day of the feast, while other parents bring up food from local restaurants.”

After dinner, the Chinese Culture Club, Korean Club, Japanese Culture Club, and other student groups offered activities and snacks in the Student Center, including calligraphy, matcha pancakes, karaoke, jian zi, and bubble tea. 

To cap off the evening, students lit sparklers outside the Main Building and took pictures with friends as snow fell. 

This year’s celebrations were made possible by parent volunteers and the members of the Lunar New Year Committee; Chief of Staff to the Head of School Mrs. Lisa Brown; Director of Student Activities and Clubs Mrs. Marcie Wistar; Dr. Wei Liu and Ms. Yang, instructors in Chinese; and the DEI and Development offices.