Chinese students get to double up on holidays this year - the Chinese New Year celebration begins Feb. 14, so students can show appreciation not only for a significant other but also for family and the New Year.

The Chinese New Year is a 15-day celebration involving feasting, gift giving, fireworks and time with family. Extended family and friends often travel to be together for the two weeks.

“It is like Christmas in America,” said Yunfei “Leo” Song, sophomore actuarial science major from Wuhan, China, and vice president of the Chinese Students’ and Scholars’ Association. “It is the biggest Chinese holiday; companies shut down, and families are together for 15 days.”

The celebration is not just for Chinese citizens; it is a tradition in several Asian countries, especially those with large Han Chinese populations. Many people who speak Chinese or simply enjoy the culture celebrate the holiday.

ACU students will be ringing in the new year at the Hillcrest Church of Christ on Saturday. People will be present to help translate and teach visitors about Chinese culture, which will include playing Igo, a traditional Chinese board game. This part begins at 4 p.m.; dinner and a more informal party will follow at 6:15 p.m. Although the event is organized by the Chinese Students’ and Scholars’ Association, anyone interested in Chinese culture or the New Year celebration is welcome to participate.

The date of the holiday changes every year because the Chinese calendar is based on the lunar year. The celebration begins the first day of the new moon and ends the day of the Lantern Festival, which coincides with the full moon. This forms a 12-year pattern in which each year is named after an animal. Depending on the year a child is born, he or she is believed to have the characteristics of that year’s animal. As Valentine’s Day approaches, for Chinese students, the year of the ox is ending, and the year of the tiger is about to begin.