Chinese students must observe New Year in class

By Sarah Szczepanski
Assistant Features Editor

Even though today is the biggest holiday of the Chinese calendar, students who observe this holiday still must go to all of their early classes, turn in papers and take exams.

Today marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year 4, 699; the year of the snake, which is the Oriental equivalent to Christmas, said William Huang, president of the Taiwan Student Association and a junior in the Schools of Engineering.

"We are just going to celebrate during the weekend because everyone has class," Huang said.

According to Huang, the Chinese New Year’s Eve on campus consisted of small, private parties with friends.

The large celebration will be 6:30 p.m., Saturday, when the Taiwan Student Association holds a New Year's Day party at University Church.

The celebration will be a fill-in for the New Year’s celebrations these students might have honored in Taiwan. "When you are away from home, celebrating the season gives you a warm feeling," Huang said.

The celebrations in Taiwan, which usually last up to two weeks, are different than the New Year celebrated here.

The United States New Year is more of a casual time to spend with friends, whereas the Chinese New Year is when families spend time together, Huang said. "If there are people that travel outside the home, they come back for a big dinner."

A native of Taiwan, Chih-Kang Yuhchyr said, "It is just like Christmas or Thanksgiving over here." The senior in the School of Consumer and Family Sciences said he still celebrates Christmas, but it is not as big of a deal.

Just like Christmas, the Chinese New Year involves a flurry of consumer activity. Shoppers fill the stores at the end of January.

"In Taiwan, the markets are packed," said Huang.

One of the gifts children receive is money in a red envelope. Red is the color of the season and a sign of good luck. Good luck is a recurring theme for this holiday.

Over the New Year, dancing with stuffed animal heads, such as a lion or a dragon, on a stick above the head is supposed to bring good luck, according to Yuhchyr.

He added that although eating fish is common during the New Year’s dinner, not all of it should be consumed or it will mean less money in the next year.

The amount of money the person has for the next year can be predicted by the number of dumplings that are put on the plate, but Yuhchyr said the dumplings should not be counted at the table.

"You don’t count them because you wouldn’t normally count your money there," he said.

The Chinese New Year shares the American New Year tradition of staying up late. There is a difference though; the Chinese tradition involves life and death.

"There’s a superstition that the longer you stay up, the longer the seniors in your house will live," Huang said.

Although Americans stop at saying "Happy New Year’s" and "Merry Christmas," during the holiday season, the Chinese New Year tradition involves going one step further.

When greeting someone during the New Year’s season a person should say something wish good things for him or her. "You could say happy new year, hope you stay healthy," said Yuhchyr.

Chinese students must observe New Year in class

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