MBS Community Learns about Lunar New Year

At All-School Meeting today, members of the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) affinity group spoke about Lunar New Year, a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. 

Lunar New Year is the most important holiday in China, and it is also widely celebrated in South Korea, Vietnam, and countries with a significant overseas Chinese population. While the official dates encompassing the holiday vary by culture, those celebrating consider it the time of the year to reunite with immediate and extended family.

The students spoke about the difference between Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year, and the many ways the holiday is celebrated — food, gift-giving, gathering with family and friends, watching fireworks and dragon dancing, and decorating the home.

As members of the community walk around the campus, they will see beautiful decorations provided by the MBS Parents Association that highlight the color red as a reflection of fire and energy. The decorations also symbolize vitality, good fortune, good luck and prosperity.

Thanks to students Maya Bhide ’23, Aaron Hong ’23, Jonathan Hong ’23, Maya Patankar ’25, Matt Wang ’23, and faculty member Anna Kim for such an informative presentation.

Also, during the day, members of the AAPI affinity group enjoyed making - and eating - moon cakes, a sweet dish commonly eaten during Lunar New Year. The students printed special design molds using the 3D printers in the Center for Innovation & Design (CID), including molds with the MB logo and a rabbit design. Since moon cakes are often accompanied with tea, the club also made some Year of the Rabbit-themed tea lights in the CID.  

The next AAPI meeting will take place on Thursday, February 2 during Collaborative period.