February 5, 2025 – As the new year begins the celebrations of diversity and global culture resonate within Briar Woods High school.
At the beginning of February the new Lunar
New Year began ending the year of the dragon and welcoming in the year of the snake. To celebrate, the Briar Woods Chinese club held a celebration sharing the culture of this important holiday with many students.
“It was a nice reach out to the school com
munity and fostered a spirit of diversity and inclusivity,” says Lin Zhao, Mandarin teacher and chinese club sponsor at Briar Woods High School.
At the Lunar celebration there were
many cultural activities and booths accented by the delicious traditional foods and snacks. All the students that participated truly enjoyed the event and learning about the cultures that are a part of Briar Woods’ vast diversity.
“The Lunar New Year celebration was a great way to experience Chinese culture through hands-on activities,” says Maanasa Kodali, a sophomore at Briar Woods. “I got to try my hand at Chinese calligraphy and the chopstick game, which made me appreciate how these traditions connect us to history and each other.”
In Chinese culture the Lunar New Year celebration is very important and carries with it beliefs about luck for the year to come. 2025 begins the year of the snake, the sixth animal in the Chinese Zodiac cycle.
“The year itself is considered a time for reflection, deep thought and personal growth,” says the Austin American Statesman in their article “Chinese New Year begins today: What to know about Lunar New Year and the Year of the Snake.” Overall the year is linked with good fortune and prosperity.
Alongside the Lunar New Year Celebration, the Mandarin classes in Briar Woods had a dumpling social to advance learning about the culture along with the language. In this social the students learnt how to make the dumplings furthering love for the culture and language.
