Lunar New Year is a time of reunion and new beginnings for many Asian communities, where families come together for festive meals and time-honored traditions. 

Celebrated in a 12-year cycle based on the Chinese zodiac, the Year of the Snake symbolizes wisdom and personal growth. Those born in the Year of the Snake are often said to be wise, intuitive, and resourceful. From reunion dinners to New Year’s greetings, people follow different traditions that unfold over multiple days, culminating in the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the new year.

At Harvard College, students far from home recently found a sense of belonging through a series of vibrant campus celebrations for the Lunar New Year on campus. Harvard University Dining Services launched the celebrations with a special New Year's Day meal in dining halls, complete with table posters explaining the festival’s history and traditions. The Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations followed up with hands-on activities, including lantern-making and snake painting, immersing students in the holiday spirit.

At Kirkland House, an annual Lunar New Year tradition has grown into a major event, uniting cultural student organizations and the house community. Originally spearheaded by the Harvard Vietnamese Association, the gathering has expanded under the leadership of Cerena Wu ’25. Drawing from her experiences growing up in a family-run Chinese restaurant, Wu envisioned the celebration as a way to bring people together through food and shared customs.

“The goal was to create a space where everyone—whether they’ve celebrated before or are experiencing Lunar New Year for the first time—feels welcomed,” Wu said. “Bringing different cultural groups together makes the event even more special.”

This year’s event featured a spread of traditional foods, including pandan waffles, fried rice, and boba milk tea. For Diana E. Vukel ’25, who hadn’t had boba tea in months, the treat was a highlight. “Events like these build a strong sense of community,” she said. “I love seeing so many people come together to celebrate.”

Alice Lu ’28, celebrating her first Lunar New Year away from home, found comfort in the familiar festive atmosphere. “It’s very festive here,” Lu said. “All the noise and the decorations remind me of home because, especially around Lunar New Year, it's known for being really busy.”

Student organizations played an integral role in bringing the celebration to life. Beyond food, the Taiwanese Cultural Society (TCS) set up a calligraphy station where students created spring couplets, a tradition believed to bring prosperity and ward off misfortune. Calligraphy, a cultural art learned by students as part of their curriculum, holds deep meaning beyond its aesthetic value. Spring couplets, a traditional practice, symbolize hopes for a prosperous year ahead. Shiloh Liu ’26, TCS co-president, highlighted the event’s importance in fostering cultural pride and community.

“We all organize this together because it’s something that we all feel really proud of, and we want to showcase a lot of our culture in it,” Liu said. “We try to create a kind of home for people who are away from home, giving them the opportunity to celebrate. This is something really important to our mission at TCS.”

The large-scale event was made possible through strong support from the Kirkland House administration, with faculty deans, house tutors, and student leaders working together to ensure its success. Wu encouraged students interested in hosting cultural events to seek support from House administrators and student organizations.

For many, Lunar New Year at Harvard is more than just a holiday—it’s a powerful reminder that home is not just a place, but a feeling of connection and belonging.