CLU hosts Chinese New Year celebration

Free event features music, acrobatics, food

Download photo

Local groups performing include the Thousand Oaks Chinese Folk Ensemble, YangSheng Choir, in-Harmony Choir, Thousand Oaks Chinese School Dance Group, Nan’s Acrobatic Group and Thousand Oaks Tai Ji Group.

(THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Jan. 17, 2013) California Lutheran University will host its popular Chinese New Year celebration from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7, in Soiland Recreation Center.

The free event will celebrate the year of the black water snake with a traditional lion dance, Chinese acrobats and Tai Ji demonstrations. Ming Ming Jiang, a world-renowned soprano from Beijing, will sing. Local groups performing include the Thousand Oaks Chinese Folk Ensemble, YangSheng Choir, in-Harmony Choir, Thousand Oaks Chinese School Dance Group, Nan’s Acrobatic Group and Thousand Oaks Tai Ji Group.

Authentic Chinese egg rolls, dumplings, chicken, noodles and desserts will be served. Booths of Chinese artists demonstrating their talents and merchants selling their products will add to the festive atmosphere.

Chinese New Year, which this year falls on Feb. 10, is the most important of the Chinese holidays. The holiday lasts 15 days and focuses on bringing good luck for the new year, which is 4711 in the Chinese calendar.

According to legend, Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called the Nian. To protect themselves, villagers put out food to satisfy the Nian. Later, finding that the beast feared the color red, they hung red lanterns and red spring scrolls on windows and doors. Today, adults give red envelopes, often containing money, to children to symbolize wealth and prosperity in the coming year. Lanterns symbolize the brightness of spring. In dragon and lion dances, a group of dancers parade under elaborately decorated costumes to scare away bad luck.

Saving money and being thrifty should be top priorities during the year of the black water snake, according to organizer and CLU faculty member Debby Chang. It is a good year to begin important detail work. People who were born in the Year of the Snake are intelligent and fascinated with all the beautiful things in life. They are great mediators and good at doing business. This should be a good year for career and business opportunities.

CLU’s Languages and Cultures Department and Multicultural Programs are sponsoring the free event.

Soiland Recreation Center is located in Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center, which is near the corner of Olsen Road and Mountclef Boulevard on the Thousand Oaks campus. For more information, contact Daniel Lawrence at 805-493-3489 or lawrenc@callutheran.edu or Debby Chang at ddchang@callutheran.edu.

©