Happy Lunar New Year 新年快樂!

On Tuesday, Feb. 6, UCOP colleagues celebrated the Lunar New Year in Oakland and in Washington, D.C. A holiday that is widely celebrated in China, Vietnam, South Korea, and countries with a significant overseas Chinese population, the celebration marks the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar.

Oakland

The Asian Pacific Islander Staff Association (APISA) hosted the Oakland Lunar New Year festivities. Almost 200 colleagues convened to enjoy delicious Asian cuisine catered by the well-known local restaurant, Tao Yuen. Notable dishes included fragrant salt and pepper tofu and wonderfully crispy, seasoned fried chicken.

In addition to the amazing food, attendees participated in traditional Lunar New Year activities:

• At an Iu-Mien lucky red egg table, attendees hand-made netted threads for red eggs to be worn around their necks. This activity was inspired by the popular tradition of the Iu-Mien people, who give eggs to friends and family to bring good luck and fortune for the new year.
• A Chinese calligraphy table allowed attendees to practice writing the Chinese character for happiness and good fortune, setting the tone for the entire year to come!
• The highlight of the event was a lion dance performance given by the UC Berkeley Vietnamese Student Association. This talented group captivated the audience from start to finish. It was a truly splendid way to end the event.

Thank you to everyone who came out to support the APISA Lunar New Year celebration and made it a roaring success. APISA members look forward to seeing you at their next event!

Washington, D.C.

The UC Federal Governmental Relations (FGR) team came together at the UC Washington Center to celebrate and learn about Lunar New Year. Over donuts and pastries from locally- and AAPI-owned Rose Ave Bakery, UC FGR operations manager Marcus Markle and assistant directors for governmental relations and legislative analysis Daisy Kim and Annie Nguyen organized a brief “dessert-and-learn” event, where FGR team members used the forum to ask questions and learn about what Lunar New Year means from the perspective of peers.

“I really enjoyed how Annie and Daisy shared their personal experiences with Lunar New Year. This made the experience much more personable,” Zahra Haider, FGR’s spring intern, shared. “Oftentimes in other professional settings, ethnic and non-Western holidays are not recognized to begin with — or if they are, it is in a way that is academic rather than fun, conversational and personal.”

Daisy and Annie also shared artifacts like traditional dress and money envelopes. The event concluded with a brief demonstration of Yut Nori, a Korean stick game, and Bầu cua cá cọp, a Vietnamese money game. Everyone wished each other good fortune for the year to come.

Happy Lunar New Year from the FGR team in Washington, D.C.!

Tags: Lunar New Year, Oakland, UCDC