Riverdale Community Celebrates the Lunar New Year
Pre-Covid-19, civilians paraded New York City streets to celebrate the Lunar New Year
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Lunar New Year means family, togetherness, tradition, and tons of mouth-watering East Asian food. According to Senior Michelle Wen, this two-week celebration is “often mistaken as a very China-centric holiday, but it is celebrated widely throughout different parts of Asia and by different Asian communities that are not in Asia.” Each year, people all over the world celebrate this 3,500 year old holiday. Although the Lunar New Year is celebrated on a smaller scale in New York than in some East Asian countries, people in New York City have their own communities and families to celebrate with, as well as events across the city to attend.
Upper School math teacher Ms. Monika Le celebrates the Vietnamese Lunar New Year known as Tet. Ms. Le typically celebrates this tradition by spending time with her family in the city. Ms. Le mentioned an event near the New York Historical Society that is hosted by the Vietnamese Heritage Association. The Vietnamese Heritage Association event features a dragon dance, Vietnamese food, visual displays, and activity tables for crafts to experience Vietnamese culture and learn about Tet. Ms. Le described how this event “brings together Vietnamese people and others who are interested all around the city,” but is more directed towards “families with kids of a Vietnamese background, and it is their way of feeling connected during this holiday.” Although these celebrations will not be held in-person as a result of Covid-19, people are still able to connect with these events via Zoom.
Upper School Chinese teacher Ms. Lu Li loves seeing the Lunar New Year recognized through all of the traditions around the city, particularly the parades. Ms. Li typically celebrates this holiday by cooking with her newfound community and family in the states, now including Riverdale alum Max Horne, who graduated in 2019. Besides preparing food, Ms. Li described a celebration in Chinatown: “On the first day, there is a big parade with a lion dance, a lot of people out on the streets, and firecrackers.” Unfortunately, this parade has been postponed and will occur later in 2021 in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19. She also mentioned that, typically, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has a special program for the New Year celebration with art classes in both Chinese and Korean as a way of “incorporating the New Years traditions for kids.” She also recalls one year when “all the luxurious brands on Madison Avenue decorated the stores with red and had the New Year animal integrated into their designs.”
Ms. Li noted that “Riverdale has always been a huge part of my tradition since I started the program a decade ago.” Ms. Li continues this tradition by throwing a party for the Chinese students and the Riverdale community, celebrating in Chinese classes, and organizing a video of Upper School students in Chinese classes singing to send to Lower School students. In a normal year, Lunar New Year at Riverdale is a big event for Riverdale’s Asian Affinity Alliance to organize. Ms. Le recalled an event in which Riverdale alum Alice Chang’s family catered a Friday evening feast that included dance and performances by Chinese classes.
Unfortunately, many people in New York City are unable to gather, cook, feast, and continue lasting traditions with extended family this year to the same extent as years previous. But Ms. Li, Ms. Le, and Michelle Wen all share the same sentiment about Lunar New Year: it is a time for gathering, whether it be through Zoom or safely congregating in person.
