Chinese Classes Welcome Lunar New Year
2026 is the year of the Fire Horse in the Chinese Zodiac. It occurs only once every 60 years, and is believed to be a time of transformation, energy, and dynamic change.
In China, train stations are filled with crowds heading home to celebrate with family, brooms sweep bad luck out of houses, and, in the streets, dragons dance to bring good luck and wisdom.
Here at Carleton, while somewhat less dramatic, our celebrations are no less heartfelt.
You can hear the singing from the elevator. Members of our Chinese language classes, along with their friends, conversation partners, teaching assistants, and others are singing 新年快乐 (xīn nián kuài lè) under the direction of Mandarin Chinese instructor, Laura Luo.
The room, SP 306, is heavily decorated. Student volunteers spent the afternoon preparing it. Rhyming couplets frame the doorway, red cardboard lanterns hang from the ceiling, and prosperity cats smile down from the walls.
The evening is well-attended by students from all levels of Chinese course along with the regulars from weekly Mah Jong marathons in the Language Learning Resource Centre.
Games of charades follow a welcome message from School Director Dr. Michael Rodgers as well as paper cutting activities, and a modified version of musical chairs that involves mini challenges like “miming eating stir fried noodles”, “walk like a little kid”, and “do a wall-sit for 2 minutes; the latter leaving some students in heaps on the floor.
Things become significantly more animated when the chopsticks relay begins and they don’t slow down when the Jianzi (毽子), a Chinese version of hacky sack involving a feathered shuttlecock, is introduced. Celebrations continue late into the night.
Many thanks to Mandarin Chinese instructors Laura Luo and Bin Li for organizing the event along with contributions from their enthusiastic students, teaching assistant Maggie Zheng, and many others. Their commitment to learning, engaging with, and celebrating Chinese culture was obvious and led to an enjoyable joy-filled evening for everyone.
And, as the wall banner says, “10,000 auspicious good lucks coming from the east!”