The University of Miami’s Lakeside Patio was a hub of excitement and cultural celebration as students, faculty, and community members gathered to welcome the Lunar New Year on Jan. 28. The 2025 festival, marked the Year of the Snake, symbolizes wisdom, intelligence and transformation in traditional Chinese culture.
The event, organized by the Chinese Student and Scholar Association in collaboration with other cultural clubs transformed the Lakeside Patio into a vibrant scene of tradition with interactive activities. The festival welcomed not just members of the club, but was an open display of culture that eagerly greeted anyone that came.
Throughout the evening, attendees were treated to a variety of interactive games and activities such as fortune telling, mahjong and festive foods such as dumplings and rice balls. Attendees had the opportunity to write red envelopes, writing messages of hopes for the new year and good fortune. Attendees also made paper lanterns, collecting colorful decorations to take home. Additionally, the festival gave out Year of the Snake T-shirts featuring a white background with a red snake curling to spell 2025.
“This was my first time going to something like this, I was super nervous at first but the people running the event eagerly welcomed me in,” Trevor Landgraf, a UM junior, said. “Once I got my fortune read, I was completely immersed. I’m definitely gonna go again next year.”
As the festival came to an end, the evening was lit up by the soft glows of lanterns made by organizers and attendees, creating a tranquil atmosphere in the normally busy patio. The organizers and student volunteers made a concerted effort to engage the broader university community, and it truly paid off.
“It was really great to get a chance to see, everyone looked so happy. I had a lot of fun, I just wish it went on longer,” UM junior Monika Gilicinska said.
The University’s Lunar New Year Festival was not just a celebration for the Asian community, but an inclusive event that welcomed people from all backgrounds. As the new year starts, the sense of camaraderie and cultural appreciation lingers on.
The festival not only celebrated the new year, but reinforced the hopeful feeling from a new start.