ASO will celebrate the Lunar New Year early on Saturday, from 6-8 p.m. at Hillcrest church of Christ. 

The holiday is a 15-day festival marking the first new moon of the lunisolar calendar, and it will officially begin on Feb. 17. This year is the Year of the Fire Horse.

The Asian Student Organization and the Office of Intercultural Engagement and Belonging are inviting anyone from the Abilene community to join, not just ACU students. Betty Gui, ASO president and graduate student from China, said the Lunar New Year is different every year and is generally celebrated in Asian and Chinese cultures.

“I think it’s a great way to educate people and to reduce their misunderstanding or stereotype of what Asian culture looks like,” Gui said.

The event will start with a performance by the Lion Dance team and Dragon performers to inform the audience about where the traditions come from and why they are celebrated.

“We will talk about history and give away a wrapped envelope,” said Gui. “It’s a traditional way that the older people give that envelope with money to kids.”

Although the envelopes will not contain real money, they will contain two small gifts from ASO to the community.

Abby Madera, English and Bible major from San Antonio, attended the Lunar New Year celebration last year, but this year she was involved in planning the event. Madera, ASO secretary, said she is grateful for how the team divided the roles of planning very equally between the officers. 

“We’re very collaborative,” Madera said. “Everyone makes sure that everyone is equally in the light, and the individual responsibilities in the event are a lot of pre-event preparations.” 

ASO has been working to arrange the event, from organizing volunteers to creating a slideshow. Madera said she is most excited for the fellowship aspect of the Lunar New Year.

“One of the awesome things about the Lunar New Year is that it gives you a look at a culture that you may not otherwise interact with,” Madera said.

This is the second year that ASO celebrated the Lunar New Year with a performance accompanied by a dinner. They hope to increase their budget to introduce new things to this yearly celebration. 

The food provided will include dishes from different Asian countries, and it will feature a new addition to the menu: a rice cake dish.

Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for non-students. They can be purchased via this link or through the QR code posted on flyers around campus and on ASO’s Instagram. 

If students want to get involved, they can sign up to be volunteers, which will include setting up and cleaning up after the event. The link to sign up can be found here.