Gung hay fat choy! The Year of the Rooster has arrived and people all around the world are celebrating the Lunar New Year, including UC Irvine students, alumni, and the staff members. This past Monday, January 30, UCI held the annual Lunar New Year Festival at the Social Sciences Plaza. It was a bustling, festive celebration that featured musical and performances by the Southern Young Tigers, Hansori, Jing Hu, and the Yaya Dance Academy. In addition there were a variety of local food vendors, such as 85 Degrees Bakery, Panda Express, Paradise Bowls, Cha, Pei Wei, and Pick Up Stix, that handed out all sorts of delicious food, an essential component of a successful Lunar New Year celebration.
As the lion dancers, clad in the elaborate costumes, weaved through the crowds, students lined up to test their skills in traditional Chinese calligraphy, water color paint, and participate in little games to enter in raffles and win prizes. The festivities were all captured on the UC Irvine Her Campus Instagram story, if you missed out. Side note, follow HerCampusUCI on Instagram. Students also brought in the New Year and good fortune by writing down their wishes and resolutions on red tags that were tied onto the the trees in the Social Science Plaza.
Needless to say, the celebration was a lot of fun! As the two weeks of the Lunar New Year rolls on, remember to cherish the special celebrations, cultural traditions, and memories you share with friends and family. Happy Lunar New Year!
All pictures were taken by members of the members of the UCI Social Sciences Dean’s Ambassador Council.