Midland Lunar New Year Celebration Returns February 10th!
I recently had the great pleasure of chatting with the volunteer committee for the 2nd annual Midland Lunar New Year Celebration! This group included Dr. Joy Yang Jiao, Dr. Byungil Ahn, Jessica Chai, Genevieve Hong,Christine Cai, Dr. Joe Yunzhou Chai, Santi Proamploy, Maris Proamploy, Jingcheng Wang, Jaewon Lim and Emily Lyons, and I can't wait to share the scoop about this fantastic, family friendly event returning to Midland!
Love,
Max
Before we dive in, you might be thinking… What is Lunar New Year exactly?
According to the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art:
“Lunar New Year is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. It is the most important holiday in China, and it is also widely celebrated in South Korea, Vietnam, and countries with a significant overseas Chinese population. While the official dates encompassing the holiday vary by culture, those celebrating consider it the time of the year to reunite with immediate and extended family.
Commonly known as the Spring Festival in China, Lunar New Year is a fifteen-day celebration marked by many traditions. At home, families decorate windows with red paper cuttings and adorn doors with couplets expressing auspicious wishes for the new year. Shopping for holiday sundries in open-air markets and cleaning the house are also beloved traditions. The Lunar New Year’s Eve reunion dinner is the highlight that kicks off the holiday, a feast with a spread of symbolic dishes, such as a whole fish representing abundance, that bring good luck and fortune. The fifteenth and final day of the holiday is the Lantern Festival, during which people have tangyuan, or sweet glutinous rice balls, and children carry lanterns around the neighborhood at night to mark the end of the celebration.
In the Chinese zodiac, 2024 is the year of the dragon. Different regions across Asia celebrate Lunar New year in many ways and may follow a different zodiac. We also acknowledge that many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders do not observe the Chinese/lunar zodiac.”
Max: Hi everyone! Thanks for joining me to talk about the 2nd annual Lunar New Year Celebration coming up on February 10th at Dow Diamond! Can you give us a sneak peek into what attendees can expect in terms of food and entertainment at this year's event?
Lunar New Year Team: Hi Max! Entrance to the event from 2:00-6:00pm is no cost. There is a ticketed food option providing 4 traditional Asian food tastings for $15. This year, thanks to the generous donations by Sawadee Food Truck, crab Rangoon and spring rolls will be part of the tasting ticket options, and complimentary citrus will be provided by Gordon Food Services, while supplies last. There will also be both Asian and American foods for purchase a la carte on the concourse.
In terms of entertainment, we have 3 new performers this year, Daebak3, a k-pop dance group from UofM, GVSU’s Vietnamese Student Association performing a fan dance, and Seoul Juice, a k-pop cover band from University of Michigan. In addition, we will have two performance areas with back-and-forth performances ending with a Lion Dance by Chung’s School of Praying Mantis Kung Fu. In addition, we have some spectacular booths and cultural education activities, such as the Chinese calligraphy artist. Finally, we will have fireworks ending the event at 6 pm!
M: That all sounds incredible! What people or groups have been key to supporting this event?
LNY: Midland Lunar New Year is organized by a group of volunteers in Midland who are passionate about this event.
We are also grateful to Midland Ford Lincoln, Dow Chemical Co, Members First Credit Union, Ace Hardware, Dow Credit Union, and Midland Youth Inclusivity Committee for their generous support of this event, Dow Diamond for hosting, and a group of very involved and passionate high school volunteers.
M: Lunar New Year is such a vibrant and important celebration. From your perspective, why is it important to host these celebrations, and what do they bring to the cultural fabric of Midland?
Dr. Ahn: Celebrating Lunar New Year here is recognizing that we are part of America, we have acceptance in our community and we’re not just strangers. This is our place too, and we have a right to celebrate as Americans. This is what makes America, America.
Dr. Jiao: Midland is such a unique community which so many internationals call home.
M: Beyond the festivities, how can the community engage with and support the Lunar New Year Celebration? Where can people get tickets and learn more about the event?
LNY: If people want to volunteer at the event we have a Signup Genius, you can visit our website for more information, and purchase food tickets on our Eventbrite link. The biggest way people can support the event is to help spread the word! Tell your friends, invite them to the event with you, and RSVP to our Facebook event!
Perfect! I will add in all those links here:
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