Scroll to the bottom of the article to view the celebratory video produced by the Chinese Club

In past years, the Lunar New Year holiday has been an event that the entire community looked forward to celebrating together, enjoying home-made Chinese, Korean, and other Asian foods, and singing and dancing under red lantern decorations. This year, due to COVID-19 restrictions and because the Lunar New Year falls on Feb. 12 during Winter Break, the Chinese Club created a video to mark the holiday. (Watch below.)

According to the Chinese zodiac, 2021 is the Year of the Ox, a year to focus on relationships. The holiday is celebrated by individuals in countries including China, South Korea, and Vietnam, and by their descendants overseas.

Tina Deng ’21 explained that because the community cannot come together physically during this Lunar New Year, the Chinese Club reached out by video to the extended Hotchkiss community to share their New Year’s wishes with the community.

“Around 30 students, alumni, teachers, and their family members participated in the creation of this video. We couldn't be more grateful for their generous words. Personally, I hope this video reminds those who celebrate Lunar New Year that they are always a part of the Hotchkiss family, which is constantly thinking of them, while also sharing our joy and festivity with those who may not usually celebrate the festival. Ultimately, the most important thing on Lunar New Year is our togetherness, which cannot be defeated by physical distance,” Deng said.

Instructor in Chinese Lei Pan, who is the faculty advisor for the Chinese Club, said: “If we were to sum up what Spring Festival is about in one word, that word would be 团圆(Tuányuán), which means family reunion. Because of the pandemic, many students are not able to celebrate with their families. There are no lively parties, no visits to friends or relatives –– like what we would do in the pre-COVID-19 normality. But the safe family gathering itself is the best celebration. The hardship and uncertainty we are facing now make us appreciate more the time we spend together with our family.”