Year of the Pig

On February 5th Cal Poly Pomona held its annual celebration of the Lunar New Year, the Year of the Pig. Hosted by the Asian and Pacific Islander Cultural Center (APICC), this event engaged a diversity of Asian cultures on campus. It was “a great way for us to showcase culture and heritage through celebration,” Megan Dela Cruz, Interim Assistant Coordinator of the Center, said.

As the biggest holiday of the year in many Chinese-speaking communities around the world, the Lunar New Year is commonly known as “Spring Festival” or colloquially guonian. This latter term, which literally means “passage of nian,” is derived from Chinese folklore, according to which the Lunar New Year first began with people celebrating the passage of a havoc-wreaking monster called Nian, which invaded villages to terrorize people but was frightened away by things red. That’s why at this time of the year many homes in Asian cultures are decorated with red and people are dressed in red. Traditionally, family feasts on Lunar New Year’s Eve mark the beginning of the holiday celebration, when family members return home to gather for this occasion of reunion.

A common misconception about the Lunar New Year is that it is specifically a Chinese holiday whereas in fact it is celebrated by many countries in East Asia. This campus event vividly demonstrated the multicultural and multi-ethnic nature of this holiday, thanks to the active participation by Chinese, Vietnamese, and Filipino clubs. One of these clubs was Barkada, a Filipino social club, selling Lumpia, a traditional Filipino dish. Another club was Epic Movement, an Asian American Christian club. Even Cha for Tea was also there, offering free boba tea.

Upon entering Ursa Major in the BSC, you received one of the small red packets symbolizing good fortune, which contained a candy and information about the Year of the Pig. According to the handout, “people born in the Year of the Pig are known to be compassionate, generous, and diligent. They are always determined to reach their goals, rarely seeking help from others to achieve their dreams”. The animal symbol thematized each year changes on a 12-year rotation according to the Zodiac cycle in Chinese astrology.

English Literature professor Dr. Daan Pan made his annual appearance at the Chinese calligraphy booth on this occasion, creating Chinese names for students and handwriting their names in Chinese calligraphy on bookmarks. The line for this booth was understandably long as Dr. Pan’s calligraphy was beautiful. In addition to this popular activity, there were also dances in several Asian traditions. One of the notable performances was a traditional Vietnamese dance involving a male and female dancer and four hats. There was also a Tinikling performance, which is a traditional Filipino dance involving long poles made of bamboo. Indeed, a rich variety of activities at this event created a colorful and memorable whole, a compelling embodiment of CPP’s diverse community.