The Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Wichita State University will be holding a Lunar New Year celebration on campus this Thursday.
Quang Nguyen, the marketing specialist for WSU's Office of Diversity and Inclusion, says several Asian cultures use feasts and festivities to celebrate the Lunar New Year, as well as bring in luck for the upcoming year.
“A few days before, we generally clean up the house," Nguyen says, "that way we can push away the old spirits and welcome the new spirits into the house.”
In Asian countries, Nguyen says lanterns are usually hung around the city and children run around outdoors to celebrate the coming spring.
Nguyen says another Lunar New Year tradition is the distribution of red envelopes for good luck.
"Red envelopes [will usually] have money in there,” he says. "Otherwise, in our case at Wichita State University, we give out candy in order to symbolize that good luck coming into their life."
The Saint Anthony Lion Dance Team will also perform at the event in colorful traditional regalia.
The Lunar New Year celebration will take place on Thursday, Feb. 15, at WSU in the Rhatigan Student Center at 11 a.m.
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Carla Eckels is director of cultural diversity and the host of Soulsations. Follow her on Twitter @Eckels.
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