Sounds of firecrackers exploding filled the air outside the International Culture Center Saturday night during the celebration of Spring Festival, the 15-day holiday that begins the Chinese New Year.
The Chinese Students and Scholars Association hosted the Spring Festival Party at the ICC on Darlymple Drive.
“Chinese New Year is a festival of traditions and remembering our culture,” said Wenming Wang, president of CSSA. “The firecrackers are one of those traditions. They are supposed to scare away evil spirits and bring good luck in the New Year.”
The evening included karaoke, dancing and a raffle, as well as traditional foods. Prizes were awarded to raffle winners, and they included kitchen utensils, candy and compact discs.
“It is customary to have a feast during Chinese New Year,” said Xiaomeng Peng, a graduate assistant in the physics department. “People eat more at this time than any other holiday. Usually you eat meat dumplings. I also like nian gao, which is a sweet rice cake. People will not eat red meat during New Year’s because it can bring bad luck.”
The walls around the ICC were draped in red and yellow banners printed with Chinese word puzzles. Red lanterns hung from the ceiling because red means good luck, Wang said.
The Chinese lion dance was performed for luck and happiness, said Alvin Loi, a mass communication freshman.
“The Chinese lion dance is done by two people,” Loi said. “One is the head and the other is the tail, but it takes a lot of skill to learn how to do it. The costume is made of paper mache, so it is not so heavy. The lion is danced to scare away any evil spirits.”
The evening gave both Chinese and students of other ethnicities the opportunity to celebrate the holiday. More than 100 people were in attendance, eating and socializing in honor of ancient Chinese traditions.
“When I am here tonight and see our Chinese people, I get a special feeling that only comes at Spring Festival,” said Xia Zhao, an economics graduate assistant. “I brought my culture to Louisiana with me, but I still miss China very much.”
The Chinese New Year began last Thursday, and Spring Festival lasts until Feb. 6.