On Friday, Feb. 9, Kingswood Oxford students took their seats in Hewett Gymnasium for a special assembly to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
The Lunar New Year is one of the most important holidays of the year for many Asian cultures. It is celebrated for 15 days and marks the new year in the Lunar calendar. In addition, each year is represented by a distinct animal according to the Chinese Zodiac. This year is the year of the dragon.
At the assembly, students learned about important traditions and enjoyed a wide variety of student performances. It started with students and other dancers showcasing a dragon dance. Common during the Chinese New Year, dragon dances bring good luck for the new year. This was followed by Kung Fu Fan, a dance with beautiful fans, and a sword dance. Then, students saw individual performances from sophomore Jason Chen and freshman Alan Xiang. Alan went first, playing an incredible performance on the ruan (a guitar-like instrument) which the crowd loved. Next, Jason did his staff form performance. Students and faculty watched with excitement as he leaped and swung the sword across the room.
In between these performances, the emcees also held multiple house competitions. The first competition was the chopstick relay. Upper School and Middle School students had to carry ping pong balls across the court using chopsticks, a tricky but entertaining task. Next was the ping pong tournament. It started out as a doubles match, and the winning team split to face off against each other in the championship. Senior Aashni Patel and seventh-grader Nicolas Waldran went up against each other, with Aashni taking home the championship.
Families have unique traditions for the Lunar New Year. Chinese teacher and advisor for international students Daphne Wang has many family traditions, including a reunion dinner. In addition to increased family time, her family will exchange red envelopes, dance, and celebrate with fireworks. Jason said that the most important part of his Lunar New Year celebration is seeing his family for a big dinner.
The Lunar New Year means a lot to the people celebrating it. “In my family, the Lunar New Year has always been a special time,” Ms. Wang said. “We gather together for a big reunion dinner, and everyone participates in the preparations, from cleaning the house to cooking traditional dishes.” Especially considering the importance of this celebration for so many at KO, it was a great opportunity for our community to take the time to celebrate with their fellow Wyverns who take part in the Lunar New Year.
