Lunar New Year
February 23, 2023
Happy Lunar New Year! It is customary for most Asian countries to celebrate the lunar new year! This holiday follows the celebration of the second new moon after the winter solstice. This year, the lunar new year began on Sunday, January 22, 2023. Following the Chinese Zodiac, this will be the year of the Rabbit; or in Vietnamese Zodiac, the year of the Cat. Regardless, this holiday is celebrated by wishing fortune and prosperity to close friends and loved ones.
Wilson High School students decided to share the wealth with their classmates at a Lunar New Year Celebration on the rally stage this past Friday, the 20th, at lunch. By showcasing a number of traditional Asian garments and inviting students of both asian, and non-asain descent, Co-Organizers, Zoey Lambe-Hommel, Claire Porcher, and Josephine Sim share the importance of Appreciation versus Appropriation.
“(We want) to ensure that more cultures feel involved and receive representation.” said Dayne Rash-Arguello, an LPS 12th grade participant invited to the event by her friend. Rash-Arguello was excited to learn more about the traditional holiday and mentioned that this experience motivated her to learn more about other cultural holidays and participate in future events, given the chance.
The lunar new year is a very meaningful holiday to many. Josephine Sim, a 12th grader from the WAVE pathway and Co-Organizer of the event, shared her personal family traditions. “It is a time where my sister and parents get together and make sure luck is instilled.”
Cultural appreciation is vital to such a diverse community; and Wilson is incredibly fortunate to have strong leaders to ensure representation is earned and widely shared. Many of the students engaging in the Celebration by wearing traditional garments were uneasy about participating in fear of cultural appropriation. Lambe-Hommel wanted to assure those that are participating and observing that, “we’re inviting others to honor and celebrate the Lunar New Year, with us, [the event] is more of an invitation.”
Until the Lunar New Year celebrations end on February 5th, the administrators that helped put the event together, the students that participated, and the organizers all encourage you to show support during any cultural event/holiday, and always be open to learn more about cultures that are not your own.
