Year of the Dragon: Ninth Annual Lunar New Year Dinner Celebration

This weekend, families, friends, and entire communities across the globe will come together to observe the Lunar New Year. Pitt-Greensburg students are invited to commemorate the new year holiday with the Asian Alliance Club this upcoming Thursday, Feb. 8 for the ninth annual celebratory dinner. The festivities will take place from 4:30 – 7 p.m. in the Wagner Dining Hall.

In collaboration with Chartwells and Global Experience, the dinner menu will incorporate traditional eastern and southeastern Asian cuisine to create a delicious and festive dining experience.

Shawn Clements, director of dining services, says, “Some of the food we will have will be a hot pot. It will be made-to-order at the center island. We have a few different egg roll choices, fried rice, and spicy green beans. My baker is going to try a round of the steamed buns to ensure she is able to make them. She is planning to make house-made fortune cookies.”

Clements, currently serving his second year as the director of dining services, helps to coordinate campus events like this one, including both the upcoming Black History Month and Soul Food Dinners this month.

“I like seeing the students happy and enjoying themselves. To be honest, that goes with all of the events that happen on-campus and even off-campus. That’s the main reason I got into hospitality. Food has always been important at any event or gathering. It’s a joy to see people eating and enjoying fellowship and camaraderie,” Clements says.

Lunar New Year’s celebrations typically last for two weeks, going by the lunar phases — new moon until full moon. This Saturday, Feb. 10 marks the beginning of the Year of the Dragon. The lunar zodiacs are based on a repeating 12-year cycle of different animals, where each year constitutes one’s health, fortune, career paths, and relationship compatibility. Through the festivities, communities are reminded of the importance of cultural diversity, unity, and new opportunities. Traditions include feasting with friends and family to symbolize abundance, wearing red to symbolize prosperity, and thoroughly cleaning your home prior to the new moon to symbolize good luck, as opposed to cleaning during the holiday which would bring bad luck for the year.

Dr. Shu-Jiang Lu, associate professor of English and AAC advisor, is excited to celebrate the holiday with her family this year.

“The Lunar New Year is always about food and family reunion. Since this New Year’s Eve happens to be on Friday, I will cook some traditional Chinese dishes for the evening, including fish, chicken, fried rice meatballs, and eight-treasure pudding. I will also make buns and dumplings for New Year’s Day as part of the tradition,” she says.

Dr. Lu fondly remembers previous years’ celebrations that she had in her native country of China. 

“My favorite memories other than food and family are playing with firecrackers, staying up all night for the New Year’s Eve, receiving good-luck money in the red packets from parents, visiting relatives and friends, and being in holiday break until the Lantern Festival, which is the fifteenth day from the new year’s day, officially closing the new year’s celebration,” she says.

This event is not only personal for Dr. Lu, but is also impactful for the diversity of Pitt-Greensburg’s community.

“The best part of this celebration is about our students experiencing not only good food but also the joy they bring to themselves and to each other, creating this warm and wonderful sense of Pitt-Greensburg community. I would like to send my special thanks to the AAC officers, the Chartwells Dining Services, and the office of Global Experiences for their time and hard work in organizing and contributing to this event,” she says.

The AAC at Pitt-Greensburg was founded by former student Rebekah Chieng in 2022. Any and all students are welcome to become members or attend events. They are known for hosting educational and interactive events that recognize different Asian cultures while also showing appreciation for diversity. Past events include movie nights, karaoke, crafts, free food events, game nights, and even learning how to use chopsticks.

Jojo Lin, the president of the AAC, says, “I think that people should give a chance to brighten their knowledge and expand their experience about other countries in Asia.”

For more information about the Asian Alliance Club or future events, please email Shu-Jiang Lu at shl32@pitt.edu or follow them on Instagram at @upg_aac.