Chinese New Year, also called Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, fell on Sunday, January 22, 2023. Lunar New Year is so aptly named as it marks the beginning of a new lunar cycle, and 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit. The Trent University Chinese Student Association (TUCSA) held a Lunar New Year event on Saturday, January 28, 2023, which I attended with great delight. There was good food, games, sparklers, and even a traditional Chinese dance performance. Dancer, Serena Wong, showcased a “modern classical Chinese dance that draws from some motifs seen in Chinese Dunhuang murals.” 

The event was catered by Hanoi House, which specializes in Cantonese-style dishes, and included mushroom chicken, braised beef tendons, vegetarian spring rolls, and stir fry string beans. There were also other snacks such as boba tea, red bean mochi, pineapple cakes, Chinese crackers, and almond cookies. For dessert, TUCSA group members made the cakes themselves, with red velvet and strawberry shortcake flavours, served with fresh fruit. 

For games, there was both traditional games and games everyone knew—there was “Fight the Landlord,” which is a Chinese card game, and calligraphy, where guests could use a brush and ink to draw the symbol for “fortune” on red calligraphy paper. There was also origami where guests attempted to make a folded paper rabbit, as well as paper airplane making, with the paper airplanes being thrown to reach a certain distance to win a prize. The prizes ranged from $5-$10 gift cards, and were given in traditional red envelopes. The prizes were sponsored by Bobo Tea. Later in the night, sparklers were handed out outside, and the light of the sparklers lit up the night sky.

TUCSA’s President, Victoria Wong, sat down with me afterwards to discuss the event. When asked what  Chinese New Year means to her, Victoria replied that Lunar New Year means, “celebrating with family, getting together, enjoying good food, and giving blessings to each other.” Victoria’s favourite part of Chinese New Year is enjoying the company of family, and getting together. She loves the dinner, as her grandmother makes it, and they enjoy having nian gao, which is made from glutinous rice flour, brown sugar, and water. As this year is the Year of the Rabbit, I asked what the rabbit represents in the Zodiac. Victoria replied that the rabbit, like all animals in the Zodiac, represents good luck. But the rabbit, being a small animal, also represents peace, innocence, and purity. Those born in the Year of the Rabbit (such as myself) can expect a good year, full of peace and calm. One can only hope. But I definitely feel that I rang in the new year with good luck and fortune. 

Gung hay fat choy—wishing you great happiness and prosperity.