The Arcadia Public Library held its Lunar New Year Celebration on Jan. 18 in the Cay Mortenson Auditorium; while some library events had to be cancelled due to the Eaton fire, this was spared. The Cay Mortenson Auditorium was filled with elaborate decorations—red lanterns, wallpaper, and a wishing tree welcomed in the new year.

The lunar calendar follows the monthly cycles of the moon and its phases; therefore, Lunar New Year is determined by the date of the second new moon after the winter solstice. This year, Lunar New Year falls on Jan 29. While specific traditions vary from culture to culture, East Asian countries typically celebrate this holiday by enjoying meals with family and participating in new year festivities such as watching the lion dance and setting fireworks.

Prior to the start, families lined up in front of the auditorium doors, excited for an afternoon of cultural fun. The event began with the host, named Ms. Amy, explaining the lunar calendar and the 12 zodiac animals to the audience. Children were invited to sit at the very front of the auditorium and discover their own Chinese zodiacs in addition to learning facts about the snake zodiac, which is this year’s zodiac.

After that, the participants enjoyed various storytelling activities, and even retold the famous Chinese zodiac myth, with several audience members acting out realistic animal sounds as the story progressed. Children were also able to participate in crafts, such as making a paper chain snake while adults took pictures and hung wishes on the wishing tree.

“I celebrate Chinese New Year with family,” said Bill Yip, a person in attendance who brought his nephew to the event. “The event was fun and educational.”

The event’s success can be attributed to the Arcadia Public Library student volunteers and the library staff, who worked together to ensure that the event was engaging to the children and their families.

“The librarians planned the event, and the volunteers helped prepare for the event,” said Arcadia Public Library volunteer junior Melinda Yu. “The librarian who is in charge of the event planned the crafts, activities and anything else they would like to include in the event. Volunteers help either the day of the event or prepare materials [before the event] for any activities we may have.”

According to Yu, library events are important “because they give you the chance to learn more information, like that of the Lunar New Year event today.”