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Lunar New Year Festival

A Celebration Hosted by the Asian Student Association

By St. Edward's University

February 14^th, 2024

Lunar New Year Festival

Roll the Dice

Bau Cua is a Vietnamese dice game often played at Vietnamese New Year. The sides of the dice feature pictures of a fish, a prawn, a crab, a rooster, a deer, and a calabash, a type of melon. Players place wagers on a board of pictures, betting on which images will appear.

Bau Cua dice are seen on the table as an Asian Student Association member picks up raffle tickets.

Students play a dice game of Bau Cua.

An Asian Student Association member reveals the Bau Cua dice from under a cup.

More Fun and Games

Fresh dumplings were fried up for all to enjoy, and attendees tried their hand at a chopsticks contest where they had to try and pick up as many marshmallows as they could in 30 seconds, with the highest scorer winning a prize pack.

Emotional support dumpling plushies.

Lionel Lopez, Assistant Director of Student Diversity and Inclusion, fries dumplings.

A student plays a game where they try to pick up as many mini marshmallows as they can in 30 seconds using chopsticks.

An Asian Student Association member leads a game where students try to pick up as many mini marshmallows as they can in 30 seconds using chopsticks.

A student plays a game where they try to pick up as many mini marshmallows as they can in 30 seconds using chopsticks.

Wishes for a Prosperous New Year

Attendees had the opportunity to write their wishes for the new year down and share them on the wishing tree. ASA also provided red envelopes to guests, which symbolize good wishes and luck for the year ahead.

An Asian Student Association member posts wish notes on the wishing tree.

Admission Counselor Minh-Thi Nguyen holds a red envelope.

Wishes on the wishing tree.

Other Lunar New Year Traditions

Wearing red on Lunar New Year signifies good fortune, luck, vitality, celebration and prosperity. People tend to avoid wearing black and white on Lunar New Year as it is often associated with grief and mourning.

Setting off firecrackers and participating in fireworks shows are festive activities and ways to scare away the evil and welcome the new year's arrival.

Shou Sui is when family members stay awake all night on the new year, but some people just stay awake until after the fireworks. Legend has it that Shou Sui is for bringing in good fortune to avoid evil spirits.

Don't wash your hair on Lunar New Year, as it is believed it washes away good luck and fortune. Getting a new hairstyle before the new year will bring a new look and new wealth in the coming year.

Be sure to do your chores before the day before the new year: Sweeping or cleaning your house during Lunar New Year will sweep away good luck, and taking out the garbage symbolizes dumping out the good luck or good fortune from the house.

A Lunar New Year decoration moves in the wind with Main Building in the background.

Lion Dance

The main event of the festival was the lion dance. Lions are symbolic of wisdom and power in Chinese culture and the purpose of the lion dance is to bring good fortune. Two performers wear the lion costume and dance in tandem to the rhythm of drums and clash of cymbals. The lion interacted with the crowd and "ate" red envelopes and money, blessing the audience with wealth and prosperity in the new year.

A GIF of the lion dancers performing.

Asian Student Association member Kaitlyn Nguyen introduces the lion dancers.

The lion dancers jump during their performance.

The lion dancers jump during their performance.

Performers play music for the lion dance.

The crowd watches the lion dance.

Liza Manjarrez, Senior Associate Director of Campus Ministry, holds up a dollar bill as the lion approaches.

Liza Manjarrez, Senior Associate Director of Campus Ministry, feeds a dollar bill to the lion.

The crowd looks to feed the lion after it takes a sip of juice from a juice box.

A student feeds the lion.

Emmanuel Epau takes a break from photographing to pet the lion.

A student reacts to the lion's approach.

Students react and take photos of the lion.

President Montserrat Fuentes, fourth from left, stands with members of the Asian Student Association and the lion dance performers.

A GIF of the lion dance performers unrolling a banner that reads — A GIF of the lion dance performers unrolling a banner that reads "happy new year."

Footnotes

Photography and Videography by Chelsea Purgahn

FootNotes

Photography and Videography by Chelsea Purgahn

© 2026 St. Edward's University

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