Five Boston College organizations partnered with the McMullen Museum of Art to host a culturally immersive event for Lunar New Year. Filled with arts and crafts, games, and New Year’s food, the event allowed attendees to explore Asian culture and learn more about the celebration.
Minh Dinh, a representative for the Vietnamese Student Association (VSA) and MCAS ’25, said the goal of the event was to invite the BC community to celebrate the Lunar New Year together.
“Our goals for today’s [event is to] introduce the Lunar New Year to everyone, where [all are] welcome,” Dinh said. “This is also a space for those who usually celebrate the New Year to celebrate it together in a space full of new friends.”
The celebration, which took place on Saturday, was hosted by VSA, the Chinese Student Association (CSA), the Korean Student Association (KSA), the Taiwanese Cultural Organization (TCO), and the Asian Caucus (AC).
Vivian Chuang, a member of TCO, Lynch ’23, and MCAS ’23, said she was happy to see all of these different organizations come together to help create the event.
“It was really nice because Lunar New Year is a shared [event],” she said.
One of the rooms in the celebration was filled with an array of Asian games including Shogi— the Japanese version of chess.
Andrew Pham, a member of VSA and MCAS ’25, explained the significance of including games like Shogi in the Lunar New Year Celebration.
“[These] games help to capture the spirit of New Years and get everyone in the festive mood,” Pham said.
The celebration also included various foods, such as spring rolls, dumplings, and fried rice. Dinh said that having authentic Asian food at the event is a great way to educate people on Asian culture.
“It’s a way to introduce people who are not familiar with the culture, welcoming them, [while also allowing them] to learn about [Asian culture],” Dinh said.
Christy Yung, MCAS ’24, said back at home, she and her family would always celebrate with great food and company.
“I’m from Hong Kong, so Lunar New Year has [been] a big part of my life,” she said.
Yung said she finds it especially rewarding to celebrate New Years on a weekend rather than the day of because she can use the extra time to reflect and celebrate with friends.
“[Celebrating on] a weekend is really good [as it allows me] to think about what Lunar New Year means and also how this event is really important,” she said.
Ryan Jiang, a member of the Asian Caucus’ Freshman Formation Program (FFP) and MCAS ’25, said he appreciates that students are given the opportunity to celebrate such an important cultural event.
“Being able to hang out with friends, meet new people, see people I know—that’s the Lunar New Year spirit I know [and] I think this event has really brought [that] on,” Jiang said.
Kelly Mach, an event organizer, VSA member, and Lynch ’25, said she was touched by seeing everyone coming together to celebrate.
“Being able to celebrate together in a space is really wholesome [and] heartwarming,” Mach said.
Mach said the event is about students of all backgrounds coming together to experience this important holiday and create lasting memories.
“[This celebration] is also about getting together as a community,” Mach said.
Angie Sha, an event organizer, member of CSA, and Lynch ’25, said the event is important to learning about Asian culture.
“[It’s about] learning more about different cultures in Asia, and also trying to learn about the past and get to know one of the most important festivals … in the countries,” Sha said.
Featured Image by Keara Hanlon / Heights Archives
