Penn State York students show of their skills at using chopsticks during last year's Spring Festival. No matter what you call the day — Spring Festival, Chinese New Year, or Lunar Year — it is a time for the campus community to have fun and learn about the cultures represented at the event.
YORK, Pa. — Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year and Lunar Year, will be celebrated at Penn State York with a variety of activities to commemorate the Year of the Rat. The festivities, from noon to 1 p.m. in the Multi Activity Court in the Joe and Rosie Ruhl Student Community Center, are free and open to the campus community.
The event is sponsored by the Chinese Undergraduate Student Association on campus and Penn State Global Programs.
Penn State York students, from countries that celebrate Spring Festival, will share exhibits and activities that express the beauty and meaning of this holiday. Participants can learn the art of traditional Chinese paper cutting and lantern painting, and have their name written in calligraphy in Chinese characters. Participants can also take a selfie in front of a wall backdrop featuring Chinese landmarks. Food samples will also be available. Penn State York enrolls more than 100 international students.
Planners of the celebration hope that those who attend will become more familiar with the cultures represented, and learn how for some international students, this event is the equivalent of Christmas Day in America.
