AUBURN, Ala. (EETV) - On Wednesday, the Auburn University Korea Center and the Office of International Programs teamed up to host their Lunar New Year celebration in the Student Center. The event was welcome to all students, and featured an assortment of food, games, and festivities for students to engage in.
Lunar New Year is a celebration held every year that signifies the first new moon of the calendar. The tradition is typically associated with Asian cultures, such as China, but is celebrated all over the globe. In Chinese culture, each year coincides with one of 12 zodiac animals, and each person born in that year will be assigned the zodiac animal of the year. 2024 is the year of the dragon.
The event was held on the second floor of the Student Center from 12-2 on Wednesday. There was a table of traditional Korean food, such as Kimchi, a dish made of salted, fermented, and seasoned vegetables such as cabbage. In addition to food, there were also several stations set up to help explore Korean and Taiwanese cultures.
One of those stations allowed students to try on Hanboks, which are traditional Korean clothes. Another station allowed students to take their photo with an assortment of props, and then were handed a lucky red envelope. The lucky red envelope, or hóngbāo, is typically filled with money and given to loved ones on special occasions and is meant to symbolize good fortune.
Many students attended the event and were seen mingling with friends, eating food, and playing games. The Lunar New Year celebration was a great success that allowed students to come together and learn about foreign cultures.
