Millbrook Celebrates the Lunar New Year


Drew and Linda Casertano welcomed the Millbrook community to their home to celebrate the Lunar New Year on the evening of February 12. Over 40 students joined them for food, fun, and festivities.

In preparation for the event, students and faculty visited a local grocery store to gather ingredients for traditional Chinese and Korean dishes. On the day of the Lunar New Year, everyone gathered to prepare dumplings, coca-cola chicken, fried rice, Korean pancakes, and bun cha.

The gathering was a great opportunity for students who are unfamiliar with the holiday to learn more about its history and for students who have grown up enjoying the celebration with their families to enjoy a taste of home and share their heritage.

"Lunar New Year is the first day on the Lunar calendar. It spans for 15 days, and is the most important celebration in many Asian countries," says Valerie Tan '17 who participated in the event. "We enjoy this celebration because it gives us the opportunity to celebrate our culture and share our traditions," she said.

In an effort to both learn and celebrate as a community leading up to the holiday, students also decorated the school, shared snacks with each dorm, and distributed informational packets.

“Bringing family together is one of the most important reasons why the Lunar New Year is the biggest holiday in many Asian countries. For some students, including myself, this is the first Lunar New Year away from home. The dinner brought us closer to each other and closer to where we came from,” said Emily Le ’18.

Everyone enjoyed the good company, delicious food, and an opportunity to learn more about this tradition. Happy Lunar New Year!
Back