Ringing in the year of the rabbit and the cat

Emily Richardson, Contributing Writer

It’s officially the year of the rabbit — or the year of the cat, depending on how you celebrate the Lunar New Year. 

Lunar New Year celebrations began Sunday, but VCU students across different organizations have been ringing in the new year all week with events, plenty of food and red envelopes.

Traditionally, adults give red envelopes, usually containing money, to younger people at Lunar New Year as a way of wishing them good luck and happiness, according to Chinese Student Association Culture Chair Lauren Chan.

“When seniors give a red envelope, they’ll say things like ‘we wish you good health,’ or ‘may all your dreams come true,’” Chan said. “The money is to show them blessing the younger person.”

The significance of the rabbit is that it is one of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, which are celebrated in order each year. The order was determined by a story in Chinese mythology called the Jade Emperor’s Race, according to Chan.

“People have been celebrating Lunar New Year since the beginning of China, so we keep doing it to inherit our culture,” Chan said.

The Chinese Student Association will hold their Lunar New Year celebration Jan. 30, featuring trivia, crafts, games and food, according to the group’s Instagram.

Other groups held their own celebrations giving everyone at VCU a chance to celebrate.

CULTURE at VCU, a student organization charged by the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, held an event Thursday where attendees could prepare lucky red envelopes stuffed with well wishes for the new year, rather than money, for friends and family. 

The event is a great way for people to learn about East Asian cultures and the holidays they celebrate through a hands-on experience of stuffing red envelopes, according to Janesah Ngo, CULTURE’s director of the crafts committee.

“Not only were they able to see the imagery of the red envelope, they’re also interacting with the idea that we share these wishes with people we’re close to,” Ngo said.

Attendee AK Brooks said they appreciate events like these that highlight East Asian culture.

“There are a lot of rich cultural backgrounds at VCU, so it’s nice to be able to share that with everybody,” Brooks said.

Though it originated in China, Lunar New Year is celebrated across countries in East and Southeast Asia, according to the Smithsonian.

In Vietnamese culture, the Lunar New Year, called Tết Nguyên Đán, is celebrated somewhat similarly to how it is celebrated in China. For example, in Vietnamese culture, this year is not the year of the rabbit but the year of the cat, said Chris Hoang, one of three culture chairs of the Vietnamese Student Association.

“Our celebrations are similar, but we try to incorporate aspects of Vietnamese culture wherever we can,” Hoang said. 

VSA held their own event to celebrate the year of the cat on Monday, called “Tết Chao House,” where attendees could learn more about how the holiday is celebrated, according to a post on VSA’s Instagram account.

“At our Tết Chao House event, we’ll be cooking foods, playing games like shuttlecock and we can wear our áo dàis, which are traditional Vietnamese garments,” Hoang said ahead of the event.

Hoang said he’s glad that the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs promoted the event, as it may bring awareness to more people.

“A big message of a lot of cultural organizations on campus is to spread awareness of our cultures and provide safe spaces for minorities or people who are interested in the diaspora, so I’m really glad a big organization like OMSA is able to do something like this,” Hoang said.