Humber College’s North campus saw a large turnout for this year’s Lunar New Year celebration.
Welcome to the Year of the Dragon.
First Year Experience (FYE) held a lunchtime event filled with activities, food and a photo booth to ring in the Year of the Dragon and bring students together.
Photo booth accessories, allowing students to get silly at the FYE event. Photo credit: Elizabeth Hart
Janice Majoros, FYE student life facilitator, said the holiday is important for students.
“Lunar New Year, also known under various names, follows the solar or lunar calendar, so it’s not your traditional Gregorian calendar,” Majoros said. “So this is just a really great get-together, to be inclusive and celebrate that the new year occurs at different times throughout the year.”
Students were encouraged to interact with presenters wearing traditional Chinese clothing, play games at various booths and even received a lucky red envelope, a Lunar New Year staple.
Majoros said the event planning began months earlier, working out details including floor plan and budgeting, to create an inclusive and fun festivity.
“This took a lot of careful consideration to make sure we followed our equity, diversity and inclusion values of Humber and making sure that this is an accessible and easy-to-follow event for all students,” Majoros said.
Hai Pipian, a second-year accounting student, said the event was made extra memorable by the authentic elements.
“I come from China, so it’s very fun,” Pipian sad.
She moved from China to attend Humber and said the traditions felt like home, particularly the food being served. She said she enjoyed the events and celebrating her culture in Canada.
Food table booth at the FYE event, students enjoyed eating their way through the culture. Photo credit: Elizabeth Hart
Though the event felt nostalgic for some students, others were intrigued by learning about a new holiday.
Tessnim Abouisteite, a first-year culinary student, visited the event without prior knowledge of the Lunar New Year.
“I was really curious, for me personally I just love different cultures so I really wanted to come and experience this,” Abouisteite said.
The concourse was filled with students from all different backgrounds, coming together to explore Chinese traditions.
There were many learning opportunities, like the Tzu Chi Chinese Medicine Clinic, a Toronto-based centre that has the traditional Chinese medicine program at Humber.
Tzu Chi Chinese Medicine Clinic booth, a program offered at Humber North. Photo credit: Elizabeth Hart
“It’s really nice to explore these cultural avenues and see how these new years are expressed,” Majoros said.
Lunar New Year is just one of many events hosted by FYE to celebrate inclusivity and bring the campus closer together.