The holiday, which is celebrated in Asia and the Asian Diaspora, marks the beginning of the lunisolar calendar and the Year of the Rabbit.
The University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) rang in the Lunar New Year on Jan. 27 with a celebration in the SMC Campus Center. Over 300 students, faculty, and staff along with close family members and friends joined the Universitywide student organization to partake in the fun and festivities.
The event provided a space for CSSA to showcase its Chinese culture with the UMB community and bring Chinese students together through decorations, food, and entertainment.
Guests dined on traditional food catered by local Chinese restaurants, the Red Pepper Sichuan Bistro, and the Colala Grind. Dance performances were held by the Baltimore Chinese School’s (BCS) Butterfly Children Dance Group and the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Lan Yun Blue Orchids. Live music was provided by the JHU Oriental Music Ensemble, the BCS Children’s Chorus, the JHU Music Dynasty, and a soloist from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Each element created an immersive experience for all guests, whether they were celebrating the Lunar New Year for the first time or continuing the tradition at UMB.
This year is the Year of the Rabbit. In Chinese culture, the rabbit is a symbol of longevity, peace, and prosperity. Thus, 2023 is predicted to be a year of hope, and January’s event was a fun and educational way to start.
From everyone in CSSA, thank you to those who attended, and a special thank you to those who volunteered. To everyone at UMB, Happy Year of the Rabbit!
For a photo gallery of the event, visit the UMB Student Affairs Instagram.
Interested in becoming a member of CSSA?
Any student or scholar at UMB can join! CSSA’s mission is to represent the voices of the Chinese community within UMB through social and cultural activities, educational seminars, and partnerships with other CSSAs to promote intermural interaction. You can find more information, including how to join, on UMBconnect.
In photo: (Bottom row, from left to right) Ahmad Ud Din, student, School of Dentistry; Mingzhe Shen, student, School of Pharmacy; Shuaiqian Men, student, School of Pharmacy; Liuruimin Xiang, student, School of Medicine; Yali Deng, student, School of Social Work and CSSA officer; Zhanyi Hong, student, Francis King Carey School of Law; Peiyuan Zhang, student, School of Social Work and CSSA officer; Haixi Cui, student, School of Pharmacy and CSSA officer. (Top row from left to right) Zijin Xu, student, School of Pharmacy; Jiajun Zhou, student, School of Dentistry; and Xiyao Jin, guest at the Lunar New Year celebration on Jan. 27.