The Hmong Ole Student Association, in tandem with other St. Olaf organizations, hosted the Lunar New Year: Year of the Wood Snake celebration on Feb. 21. Lunar New Year is the celebration of beginning a new year on the lunisolar calendar, which is the combination of lunar and solar cycles into the year.
In the campus celebration, there were performances by seven different student organizations, a solo performance, a Kahoot and red envelope making intermission hosted by Asian Student Union (ASU), and a fashion show with all organizations coming together. Catered food concluded the event.
The Lunar New Year is typically celebrated over the course of several days filled with the gathering of extended family and friends, having meals together, and developing wishes for the new year. This can help signal the importance of new beginnings, which is emphasized through the Wood Snake. The snake represents wisdom and growth, with the wood further symbolizing flexibility.
The importance of the Year of the Wood Snake was highlighted by Associate Professor and Department Chair of Sociology and Anthropology Vivian Choi in her introduction to the celebration. The snake is “an auspicious animal known for its resilience, love, and intelligence,” Choi said in her speech. “The general vibes for this year are about renewal and regeneration, about shedding toxicity, and about growing and transformation,” she continued.
Choi stated that creating a community is about celebrating traditions, which is highlighted by performers in the Lunar New Year celebration. D-VINE and Hmong Ole Student Association (HOSA) performer Wangmo Wachungtsang ’26 said in an interview with the Olaf Messenger that her favorite part of the celebration was “looking at the different cultures, [such as] seeing the different performances from different cultural clubs from different parts of Asia come together and celebrate Lunar New Year.”
In our current social and political climate, it is crucial to celebrate traditions and diversity. Choi mentioned during the celebration that universities have been canceling their Lunar New Year celebrations due to the current Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) restrictions sweeping the nation. Wachungtsang said, “with DEI [restrictions], you’re stripping culture away.”
Students represented in the celebration were determined to recognize Lunar New Year as it is not officially recognized in the St. Olaf calendar. Both the performers and attendees participated in the active appreciation of the Lunar New Year.
“[The celebration] meant togetherness,” D-VINE performer Louise Skokan ’27 said in an interview with the Olaf Messenger. “I definitely saw the connection with other people in the crowd being excited about just seeing everyone perform.”
In an attempt to push through DEI restrictions, it is critical to come together in the communities we have formed.
“My call to you today is to keep celebrating each other,” Choi said. “Take care of each other. Make change. Fight erasure. Fight for love. Happy Year of the Snake.”
