AASA Celebrates Lunar New Year in Style

Rhiju Chakraborty ’27

Features Editor

Lunar New Year celebration hit the Trinity College community with a bang, as the Asian American American Student Association (AASA) hosted an event that included free food, performances, and raffles at the Washington Room on Feb. 10.

Attendants were dressed in shades of reds and yellows, a reflection of the traditional colors worn during Lunar New Year celebrations.

The festivities rang in with food from five different Connecticut based stores and restaurants, including Tindahan City, Phở Saigon, Shu, Spice Venue, and Bonchon. The meals were free for all guests, and included staples such as Kung Pao chicken, turon, and chicken tikka masala. The cuisines reflected the highly diverse Asian America student body diaspora on campus, and included dishes from India, Vietnam, China, and Korea.

The night’s celebrations included various performances from different student groups, including a performance by the nation’s oldest co-ed acapella group, the Pipes, performing a rendition of Maggie Rogers’, “Alaska.”

There were also various raffles that took place intermittently between performances, but the night’s big winner of $150 was Aida Haile ’27. Other prizes included $25 gift cards to Peter B’s and the Underground, a life size teddy bear and official Trinity College sweatshirts.

Samiya Johnson ’27, who is no stranger to Lunar New Year celebrations, due to her grandmother who raised her with an increased appreciation for diverse cultures, said that she heard about the event through various posters and said, “I just think it is a great place for POC people to come together and feel like at home.” When asked if she had three words that she would describe the festivities she said, “Surprising, enjoyable and inclusive.”

Halanda Ngyuễn ’26, who works as the social chair for AASA, was reached via message and said the way the event was planned by the E-Board, and tasks were designated to respective committees. She also took a second to give out special shout-outs, writing, “I think the reason why the event was so successful was due to the executive board, and for the Amazon truck workers for delivering everything so efficiently.”

Lines for food spanned various loops throughout the Washington room, and decorations included chains of red and yellow lanterns, elaborate table centerpieces, and a stage decked with blues and yellows.

Lunar New Year, also known as the spring festival, is celebrated in China and much of Asia as a holiday that marks the transition from the cold winter to a hopeful new year. It’s a time where people can reflect and renew for a new season. The festival’s date is determined by when the second new moon after the winter solstice takes place. This year that date takes place on Feb. 10.

The Chinese zodiac system assigns one of its 12 animals to each year. 2024 is the year of the dragon. Children born in the year of the dragon are said to be visionary leaders, independent, bold thinkers, innovators and highly independent.