On Feb. 19, Sidwell Friends School’s Asian Student Association (ASA) hosted its annual Lunar New Year celebration. The club held a potluck and invited Upper School students and faculty to enjoy traditional Chinese dishes such as dumplings, spring rolls, noodles and sweet sesame balls. 

The Lunar New Year is celebrated on the second new moon after the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, meaning it falls between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20 on the Gregorian calendar, according to the Timothy S. Y. Lam Museum of Anthropology. Lunar New Year began this year on Feb. 17, marking the start of the Year of the Horse. 

Asian American Studies Chair Aaron Hwang hosted an educational Q&A on Feb. 20. 

Hwang shared the story of the Chinese zodiac animals and answered questions about the holiday. Hwang described the legendary story of the “Great Race,” a celestial competition that determined the order of the Chinese zodiac calendar. 

According to Lake Side Arts, the University of Nottingham’s public arts center, the horse finished in seventh place in the race, earning its place in the 12-year cycle of zodiac animals, in which a different animal is designated to each year. According to Travel China Guide, people born in the Year of the Horse are often described as energetic, warmhearted and persistent, and are associated with independence and freedom. 

“It was really great to see so many students weren’t just coming to our club for the food, but were really interested in learning more about Chinese culture and history,” sophomore and ASA Head Norah Chang said. “I think the story of the Chinese zodiac animals is so beautiful and unfortunately not many people know about it, so I’m glad Mr. Hwang was able to share it.”

Another highlight of the celebration was the potluck itself. Rooted in Chinese 

culture and tradition, each dish brought to the potluck was intended to offer luck, prosperity and success in the coming year.

Dumplings, or jiaozi in Mandarin, filled with minced meat and vegetables were folded to resemble ancient Chinese gold ingots, thus symbolizing wealth and success. Their common ingredients, such as shrimp, pork and vegetables, also represent abundance, suggesting the family will have plenty to eat in the coming year, according to NPR. The term “jiaozi” also sounds similar to the Chinese phrase for “the transition from old to new,” making these dumplings the perfect symbol of a fresh start on Chinese New Year. 

The golden cylindrical shape of spring rolls brought in by senior ASA Head Sophie Cao is reminiscent of gold bars, and thus sweep away the bad luck of poverty in the old year and welcoming wealth and prosperity in the coming one, according to History.com. 

The noodles Chang provided were a symbol of a long and healthy life. It’s common in China when celebrating the New Year and birthdays to eat at least one of the noodles whole — the longer the better — as chewing noodles can be likened to “cutting off” or “abruptly ending” one’s life. 

Freshman Rosy Yu brought matuan, also known as sweet sesame balls, which are another common Lunar New Year food. Their round shape signifies family unity, reflecting the cultural tradition of traveling long distances to reunite for this holiday. The red bean paste filling symbolizes a “sweet year ahead,” according to Taste of Home.  

The ASA heads spent weeks coordinating logistics to ensure a positive experience for the entire Upper School, working hard to bring in large trays of food on the morning of the event. 

“We were transporting food from the teachers lounge to the 104 and 106 classrooms, trying to figure out if we could heat up the dumplings and spring rolls too,” Chang said. “It was all worth it, though. The potluck was a huge success and we’re so glad we got to share a little bit of the Chinese culture with Sidwell students outside of ASA.” 

“I really enjoyed learning about Chinese culture through food. It was great that ASA had a celebration for it,” sophomore Sophia Cuttica said. 

“I love the ASA potluck because it’s a chance to share my culture with my peers and learn about others as well,” sophomore Ishani Agrawal added.

As Sidwell enters the Year of the Horse, the ASA celebration serves as a reminder of how food can bridge cultures and preserve ancient traditions.