The Year of the Ox
Chinese banquet celebrates the new year
Saba Naseem
Issue date: 1/23/09 Section: Lifestyles
In celebration of the Year of the Ox, the Chinese Students and Scholars Association will be hosting its annual New Year Banquet from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, in the Union Ballroom.
"Chinese New Year, also called Spring Festival in China, is the most important traditional Chinese holiday," CSSA President Shichuang Liu said. "The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th."
The origins of the Chinese New Year are unclear and too old to be traced, Liu said. However, the myth of Nian contributes greatly to the history of this holiday. According to legend, Nian is a ferocious beast that eats people during the new years. To keep the beast away, people hang red lanterns or post red papers to doors and use fireworks to scare it.
"The Chinese zodiac is a 12-year cycle of which each year is named after one of the original animals," Liu said. "Each animal has different characteristics and personalities - they are believed to be the main factor in each person's life."
According to Chinese culture, the ox symbolizes prosperity through fortitude and hard work.
This year will bring stability, and those born in the year of the ox are said to be strong, patient and hard working.
The banquet will bring together a 15-day celebration into one night full of songs, musical skits, dances, games and food. About 500 guests are expected at the event and a traditional Chinese cuisine, catered by Chartwells, will be served. Performers and organizers have worked for more than a month to prepare this banquet.
"I'm playing the two pieces on the piano, 'Cannon' and 'The Butterfly Lovers,'" said April Wang, a senior at Fayetteville High School. "I've been practicing every day for a month for this occasion."
Connie Jiang, former president of CSSA, helped choreograph two of the dances.
"One dance I'm choreographing is the Tang dynasty court dance, which dates back to 700 A.D., when it was first introduced in the royal family," Jiang said. "It started with concubines dancing for the emperor and later became popular. For this very elegant and grand dance, performers will dress in traditional outfits.
"The other dance I am choreographing is the bamboo dance," she said. "This dance originated in the Philippines, but eventually migrated to China with a different style. This dance is important especially in big celebrations such as this New Year's event."
Tickets will be sold from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every day through Jan. 26, the first official day of the Chinese New Year, in front of the Union food court. Students will receive free admission if they show a valid student ID, and faculty and staff tickets are $5 each. All other admissions are $10 each.
This year, the CSSA hopes this banquet will be more fun, include more interactions with the audience and feature an improved Chinese cuisine, Liu said.
"Chinese New Year, also called Spring Festival in China, is the most important traditional Chinese holiday," CSSA President Shichuang Liu said. "The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th."
The origins of the Chinese New Year are unclear and too old to be traced, Liu said. However, the myth of Nian contributes greatly to the history of this holiday. According to legend, Nian is a ferocious beast that eats people during the new years. To keep the beast away, people hang red lanterns or post red papers to doors and use fireworks to scare it.
"The Chinese zodiac is a 12-year cycle of which each year is named after one of the original animals," Liu said. "Each animal has different characteristics and personalities - they are believed to be the main factor in each person's life."
According to Chinese culture, the ox symbolizes prosperity through fortitude and hard work.
This year will bring stability, and those born in the year of the ox are said to be strong, patient and hard working.
The banquet will bring together a 15-day celebration into one night full of songs, musical skits, dances, games and food. About 500 guests are expected at the event and a traditional Chinese cuisine, catered by Chartwells, will be served. Performers and organizers have worked for more than a month to prepare this banquet.
"I'm playing the two pieces on the piano, 'Cannon' and 'The Butterfly Lovers,'" said April Wang, a senior at Fayetteville High School. "I've been practicing every day for a month for this occasion."
Connie Jiang, former president of CSSA, helped choreograph two of the dances.
"One dance I'm choreographing is the Tang dynasty court dance, which dates back to 700 A.D., when it was first introduced in the royal family," Jiang said. "It started with concubines dancing for the emperor and later became popular. For this very elegant and grand dance, performers will dress in traditional outfits.
"The other dance I am choreographing is the bamboo dance," she said. "This dance originated in the Philippines, but eventually migrated to China with a different style. This dance is important especially in big celebrations such as this New Year's event."
Tickets will be sold from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every day through Jan. 26, the first official day of the Chinese New Year, in front of the Union food court. Students will receive free admission if they show a valid student ID, and faculty and staff tickets are $5 each. All other admissions are $10 each.
This year, the CSSA hopes this banquet will be more fun, include more interactions with the audience and feature an improved Chinese cuisine, Liu said.
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