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Luck, food and nostalgia with Late Night SC Students welcomed the new year in style, with a night of arts and crafts. By MATEO VILLALBA-MuTIS Staff Writer
Students gathered for the Late Night SC’s celebration of the Lunar New Year, welcoming the year of the rabbit — in Vietnam, the year of the cat — in the basement of Sample Hall Saturday. Typically celebrated by East Asian cultures, the Lunar New Year began Sunday, launching 15 days of festivities and traditions. Andrea Alba, a student programs advisor at the Division of Student Affairs, organized the event. She said she wanted to create a safe environment for students to celebrate and learn about the Lunar New Year. “I did create info sheets of Lunar New Year, and I just talked a little bit about what the celebration is, who celebrates it and just a fun fact about the Year of the Rabbit,” Alba said. The new year — associated with peace, prosperity and longevity — was welcomed by many tired students who said they hoped for peace from their professors, prosperity in their grades and longevity for their mental health. Despite celebrating Lunar New Year away from home for the first time, Raymond Meng, a freshman majoring in computer science, said he’s glad to be celebrating with a bunch of his friends. Meng reminisced on some of his favorite New Year’s traditions. “Normally, I’m with my family and we make dumplings, we’ll go out to dinner and chill,” Meng said. Food is a central part of the Lunar New Year celebrations. Michelle Li, an exploratory freshman, said traditional Korean foods include tteok-guk. “It’s basically just rice cakes in a soup with eggs and like
Sasha ryu | Daily Trojan
Students crafted red paper lanterns using construction paper as part of one of the activities at the event. In Chinese culture, red lanterns represent happiness, luck and prosperity. As attendees entered, they were given mandarin oranges, a symbol of well-wishes and prosperity. seaweed f lakes, like veggies and stuff like that,” Li said. In Korea, the dish is typically eaten in the morning and represents luck and longevity, Li said. Another Korean tradition is dressing up in hanbok, the country’s traditional clothing, to talk with family elders about New Year’s hopes and aspirations, and — in Li’s words — “get money from them.” Money is a common denominator among East Asian cultural
celebrations of the Lunar New Year. While decorating his lantern, Kevin Wu, a freshman majoring in journalism, discussed the Chinese tradition of hóngbāo, in which children receive money in a small red envelope from family elders. “Literally all we do is make money and eat good food for our day,” he said. Before entering the event, students received mandarin
numbers like “four, which is unlucky because if you pronounce it in Chinese it sounds like the word for death.” To close out the night, students drank boba. Over a cup of matcha milk tea, Meng was asked about his favorite Lunar New Year activity. “Honestly, just chilling with the fam,” Meng said. “Reminiscing about the past year, talking about hopes of what we’re going to do.”
oranges as a snack, a tradition that began in southern China, giving out mandarin oranges is meant to symbolize well-wishes and prosperity because of their lucky orange hue. Students made lanterns out of red construction paper, which symbolizes luck, happiness and prosperity in Chinese culture. Meng elaborated on several other items that signified luck or bad luck in China, including
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USC CommUnity
reaCtS after m aSS Shooting
Ten were killed at a site of Lunar New Year festivities 13 miles east of USC. By EVA HArTMAn Staff Writer
APIA commu commu nity welcomes the New Year Students and faculty attended events and spent time with loved ones. By MArCEL LACEy & SArAH Ju Staff Writers
The monumental date for the 2023 Lunar New Year fell on Jan. 22. With around 19.3% of USC’s population being members of the Asian Pacific Islander
American community, there are a myriad of ways people have celebrated. Lunar New Year is a celebration of new beginnings and the arrival of spring. As its name suggests, it is based on the cycles of the moon. The holiday begins with the first new moon of the lunar calendar and ends 15 days later, on the first full moon. “In East Asia, people have been using a lunar calendar for
thousands of years,” said Sonya Lee, chair of the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures and professor of art history, East Asian languages and cultures, and religion. “It’s not the same as the calendar [used] in the West. It basically tracks the movement of the moon.” Lunar New Year has been widespread in East Asia throughout history, and every culture has its own traditions
when it comes to the holiday. Despite this, one of the major characterizing factors of Lunar New Year that unifies Trojans cross-culturally are the food practices during the lunar holiday. “[My family and I] always have tteok-guk, which is like rice cake soup,” said Jihyun La, a sophomore majoring in computer science. “That’s very traditional food for the Lunar New Year.” | see YEAR, page 4 | Tomoki Chien | Daily Trojan
Some students said that they feel homesick and long to be with their families, but have learned to find and foster community and family at USC.
USC alumna finds belonging at Tết festival Kiara Nguyen discusses connecting with her culture as a mixed-race person. By JOnATHAn PArK News Assignments Editor
For Kiara Nguyen, identity has always been a subject of contention. The USC alumna, who graduated in May with bachelor’s degrees in psychology and NGOs and social change, identifies as half Black and half Vietnamese. Her mother, despite having lived in the United States all her life, was more often the one Nguyen found herself celebrating Tết, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, with. Nguyen’s father was born in Vietnam, but could only bring so much of his birthplace with him when he fled from the war at eight months old. What little he and his family did bring was shuttered away by generational trauma. “I do have vague memories of us always going to my aunt’s house, and there’d be lots of food — but that was Asian parties in general,” said Nguyen, recalling that family members had still given her li xi, the iconic red envelopes, albeit during Christmas. “No one ever was like, ‘We’re going to your auntie’s house for Lunar New Year’ … but as I got older, and I started trying to connect more with my identity, I started celebrating it more.” Connecting with her identity was, and remains, no small feat. Members
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Photo courtesy of Kiara nguyen
Kiara Nguyen wore an áo dài, a Vietnamese traditional dress, at a Tết festival. Nguyen said she plans to make visits to the festival “a yearly thing,” starting with bringing her partner to this year’s festival later this month. of both the Black and Asian communities have rejected her, she said, for not being “Black enough” or not being “Asian enough.” The coronavirus pandemic, especially, marked a turning point for Nguyen’s relationship with her Vietnamese relatives. Following the killing of George Floyd in 2020 and subsequent nationwide protests, Nguyen found herself isolated by racist comments her Vietnamese family — whom she described as “conservative, Republican and pro-Trump” — made toward her.
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“My great-aunt was trying to tell me that other Black people have to worry, but not me,” she said. “I still don’t understand what she meant by that.” Nguyen’s mother’s side of the family, she said, was hardly different: Nguyen recalled having a lengthy, heated argument with her aunt after the latter used an ethnic slur targeting people of Asian descent to refer to nail salon workers. When hate crimes against Asians soared during the pandemic — marked starkly by
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a mass shooting in an Atlanta spa killing six Asian women — Nguyen said she saw social media posts from peers who were Black saying, “Well, why should we care? Asian people are racist to us.” Faced with racist tensions simmering on both sides of her family and within her community, Nguyen said she reached a breaking point. “I just snapped,” she said. “I was like, ‘You know what? I don’t really need [this part of the community] | see ALUMNA, page 4 |
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The USC Pacific Asia Museum canceled its Lunar New Year Festival scheduled for Sunday after a gunman opened fire at a ballroom dance studio in Monterey Park late Saturday night. “All of us at USC PAM are heartbroken to hear about the horrific violence that happened in our home in the San Gabriel Valley,” said Dr. Bethany Montagano, USC Pacific Asia Museum director, in a statement on the museum’s website. “Our hearts mourn with the victims’ families and our community members at this time.” University President Carol Folt said she was “grief-stricken” in a tweet Sunday morning, and urged those impacted in the community to reach out for support. The shooting occurred at 10:22 p.m. near the site of Monterey Park’s Lunar New Year’s Eve festival, which had concluded earlier in the evening. The Lunar New Year’s Day celebration, planned for Sunday, was canceled. Ten people were killed and the injured victims are being cared for at various hospitals in the Los Angeles area, including the L.A. County-USC Medical Center, L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna said Sunday morning. Injuries range from minor to lifethreatening. The identities of the victims have not been announced. Luna also confirmed that the same shooter entered a similar ballroom in Alhambra 17 minutes after the Monterey Park shooting. Patrons at the ballroom wrestled the weapon out of his hands before he fled the scene, and no one was injured. The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department has not announced a motive at the time of publication, and said they could not yet determine whether the shooting was connected to the Lunar New Year festival. Chinese Chamber of Commerce chairman Chester Chong said to ABC7 on Sunday morning that the shooting may have been the result of intimate partner violence. In a press conference broadcasted as part of ABC7 coverage — led by Jim McDonnell, the director of the USC Safe Communities Institute — Luna said the department could not confirm whether the weapon used was a high-powered assault rifle. SWAT teams on Sunday afternoon barricaded a white van connected to the suspect in Torrance, in which the driver was found dead by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. This shooting is the deadliest mass shooting in the United States since May, when 19 children and two teachers were killed in an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. “As we’re looking for the suspect, we will not forget the victims and survivors,” Luna said. A victim resource center has been created at the Langley Senior Center in Monterey Park, and a memorial for victims has been erected at the Monterey Park City Hall.
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yEAr | Lunar New Year widely celebrated in East Asia ALuMnA | continued from page 3 |
Lunar New Year foods also often symbolize good things to come in the future. Dumplings are essential to Lunar New Year celebrations for Peter Chong, a sophomore majoring in quantitative biology. The shape of the dumplings resembles the traditional Chinese currency of the past, so eating them means that in the next year, the eater you will have great luck financially. “Sometimes, [my family does] like a dumpling mass gathering to make dumplings and then eat them together,” Chong said. “They don’t turn out all that well all the time, but it is mostly about just eating and hanging out with family and friends.” Some foods can carry significance through idioms and sayings. “My mom would cook fish and we’d have to eat some of the fish, but leave some of the fish behind,” said Brady Lin, a sophomore majoring in architecture. “There’s this saying called ‘nián nián yǒu yú.’ Basically, that means you should have a surplus for every year. But one of the words sounds like fish, so, they cook a fish and then they leave a bit extra to leave a bit of money for the next year.” For many people, financial prosperity is an important theme in Lunar New Year celebrations. Growing up surrounded by Chinese culture, Chong said hóngbāo, or a small traditional red pouch filled with money, was his favorite part of every Lunar New Year celebration. Ranging from $2 given to him by teachers as a kid to the hundreds of dollars he’s seen friends receive, hóngbāo has been an essential part of Lunar New Year for Chong. On top of the dishes and practices that represent this time of year, people around campus said the idea of community and being with loved ones was one of the best parts of Lunar New Year. “[I love] making it an occasion to get together with family,” said Carey Li, vice chair of Asian
Pacific Islander Faculty and Staff Association. “It’s nice that Lunar New Year is an extension of that holiday season, and so you continue to have that sense of being with people that you care about for a special occasion.” Katherine Guevarra, vice chair of the APIFSA Programming and Development Committee, said one of her favorite things about the holiday was that she lives near most of her family, allowing her to celebrate with her parents and her daughter, and to share traditions intergenerationally. Despite the joy that comes with celebrating this cultural holiday with family members, many USC students and faculty do not have family in Los Angeles. Some said the way they observe Lunar New Year is quite different from how they used to do it back when they lived with their family. “Normally, if I was at home, I would be making food with my family, calling up my grandparents,” La said. “But I’m at the dorms this year, so I’ll be going to a bunch of the different Lunar New Year celebrations and calling up my parents and grandparents. I might cook the traditional Lunar New Year foods.” Some individuals said they feel homesick and long to be with their families, but have learned to find and foster community and family here at USC. “I grew up in China, so I have very few memories back then of gathering with family at my grandparents house having the New Year’s Eve dinner with everyone,” Li said. “It’s been so long since I’ve been able to do that with my family. What I do differently [now] is just making time to be with people, whether they’re blood family or chosen family.” The holiday spirit is shared among friends and is a valuable factor in serving as a cultural connection between members of the APIA community. Lunar New Year is widely celebrated in East Asia. China, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam and South Korea are among some of the countries that take part in the holiday. At USC, the holiday serves to
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Tomoki Chien | Daily Trojan
At USC Lunar New Year serves to bring communities together and experience likeness among APIA students, faculty and staff. bring communities together and experience likeness among APIA students, faculty and staff. As members of the APIFSA executive board, both Li and Guevarra have helped organize festivities for students, faculty and staff to enjoy at both the Health Sciences Campus and the University Park Campus. “We are hosting a family friendly evening for our staff, their kids and anyone else that they want to invite,” Li said. “It’s a carnival style event where we have different activity stations. So we’ll have karaoke and lantern painting … I’m really excited that we have the funds and the approval to pull off an event like this.” At UPC, the Lunar New Year celebration held by APIFSA will take place Feb. 1 at noon in the University Religious Center courtyard.
“Last year, we partnered with the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life and APASS to put together a Lunar New Year celebration, so we’ll be doing something similar to that this year as well,” Guevarra said. “It just gives our community a space and opportunity to acknowledge Lunar New Year and celebrate it among our students, our faculty and our staff and give people a moment to acknowledge the Asian community over at USC too.” Lin said he appreciated the various events that have been held across USC campuses. “[Putting on these events] brings a lot more Asian culture and representation into USC,” Lin said. “There’s the Mid-Autumn Festival and a few other East Asian holidays I know about. I think it’s definitely really good that they’re having a lot of events for that.”
anymore. You don’t get to choose which parts of me you accept.’ At the end of the day, I am mixed … I am who I am. I deserve to belong in these cultural groups.” Nguyen said she sought out opportunities to respark her connection to Vietnamese culture, which she felt had been severed by her sparse knowledge of the language — her father had never taught her Vietnamese — and her isolation from the Vietnamese side of her family. She downloaded a language-learning app and joined the USC Vietnamese Student Association. “No one [in VSA] really ever made me feel different for being mixed. Even though I was the only clearly Black person there,” she said, “it was always nice because it felt like I had a community.” Last year, she donned áo dài, a Vietnamese traditional dress, and had her mother drive her to her first Tết festival. “I actually saw a lot of mixed people at that festival, like interracial couples with their kids,” she said. “It made me excited because that’ll be me one day. It was nice to just see … people bring their kids to these things, reveling in their culture.” Recently, Nguyen has immersed herself in her work, including at a nonprofit organization called Changeist, which has a mission of “bringing together 11-26 year olds to learn a common civic language, engage in dialogue, and build community to investigate local and global social justice issues.” She’s on track to become a teacher; in the meantime, she founded a multimedia platform — Artistas de Color Unidos — for emerging artists of color. But the Lunar New Year is a time that brings Nguyen a “sense of calm,” she said, as she connects with her culture and her ancestors — and her mother. “I’m her only daughter,” Nguyen said. “I guess she enjoys seeing me be happy and enjoying parts of my culture — it makes her happy.”
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What the year of the Rabbit means for your Chinese zodiac Jenna Peterson W R I T T E N I N T H E S TA R S
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dmittedly, I don’t know much about Chinese zodiacs other than the baseless superiority I felt when I learned that I’m a Snake, while most people in my grade are Horses. The combination of a devious snake and the mysterious scorpion representing my Western zodiac only added to that superiority, but it was purely based on vibes. This column has only focused on Western astrology so far, but I decided to dive into the Chinese zodiac this time. Sunday marked the beginning of the Year of the Rabbit, specifically the Yin Water Rabbit. In a Yin year, it is best to be open-minded and go with the flow. The best opportunities may arise at unexpected times, so take off your blinders and realize that the goal you’re striving for may not be the only option. While last year’s Yang Water energy represents vast, rapid-flowing bodies of water, Yin Water represents slow-moving, smaller bodies of water and rain. It encourages us to be more reflective and calm than last year. However, it’s best not to be stuck in the past, or you could find yourself in a stagnant position. In Chinese astrology, the Rabbit symbolizes a gentle, peaceful and hopeful energy. This is in contrast to the previous year of the Tiger, which symbolizes strength and bravery. Similarly to Western astrology, there’s twelve Chinese zodiac signs: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. However, signs change each year — starting on the new moon that occurs between Jan. 21 and Feb. 22 — rather than each month. It’s said that people resemble the animal that they were born under. For example, horses are athleticallyinclined and dogs are extremely loyal and social. In one Chinese myth, the origin
of the zodiac order was a race that the Jade Emperor called for on his birthday among animals in the city. The order of the finishes lines up with the order of the zodiac, with the rat coming in first, ox in second and so on. Chinese astrology also cycles through elements and yin and yang forms of the animal. Each element rules for two consecutive years, and because there are five elements it repeats in a 10 year cycle. The yin and yang forms alternate every year. The differences in each cycle’s length cause the same combination of form, element and animal to only repeat every 60 years. Thus, the next time it will be the year of the Yin Water Rabbit is 2083. After sifting through digital Chinese astrology resources, I compiled everything you need to know as we enter the year of the Water Rabbit, with a focus on signs that represent those between the ages of 17 and 24. Rooster - 2005 Roosters put on a strong front, similar to the dominant energy of the animal, but that’s all it is. They need validation from those around them, and are usually perfectionists. This year, roosters will make strides in their love life but be unhappy with their work progress, though that may be because of their perfectionistic tendencies. Be prepared for change, but it may not be all bad. Monkey - 2004 Much like the stereotypically goofy nature of the animal, Monkeys are lighthearted and silly but intelligent. They are ambitious and usually end up being very successful in their careers. Monkeys can easily turn their intelligence into arrogance if they aren’t careful. 2023 is set to be a year of great fortune for Monkeys, but, similarly to roosters, they may struggle with their career. They will have a magnetic energy that should serve them well in their love lives in the coming months. Goat - 2003 Goats are known to be selfless and nearly always put others over
Megan dang | Daily Trojan
themselves, oftentimes to a fault. They have an affinity for wholesome activities, such as caring for animals and spending time in nature. They like to observe more than take charge, and are very persevering. This year will be a stable one for Goats, finding success in their work. Chances are looking high for a promotion, but don’t expect many changes in love life. Horse - 2002 Energy defines Horses, and they prioritize receiving this energy through the activities they enjoy. They likely have a knack for being studious and athletic and don’t shy away from chasing after what they believe in. This year will be full of turbulence for Horses. In the workplace, they may feel undervalued and overworked. Love will be on their side, as long as they take chances and put themselves out there. Health will also be prosperous.
Snake - 2001 Snakes aren’t ones for remaining on the surface. They like to dig deep, both in their passions and in conversations. They are grounding characters and are good at thinking rationally under pressure. The Year of the Rabbit will be an overwhelmingly positive one for Snakes. They may be presented with challenges at their jobs, but nothing major. This year is the perfect time for Snakes to tune into their creative energy, it may be good for them to try a new creative hobby as a form of release. Dragon - 2000 Dragons are determined, charismatic and powerful. They are often inherently lucky and talented, but are also huge perfectionists. In contrast to Snakes, the year of the Water Rabbit will be very difficult for Dragons — particularly in love. They may feel isolated, so they’ll have to make sure to put themselves
out there to avoid amplifying this feeling. Their career, while it won’t necessarily thrive, will be steady and there shouldn’t be any major issues. Rabbit - 1999 Kindness and spontaneity are hallmark characteristics of Rabbits. They are quietly confident, making them quite the dark horse (or Rabbit, in this case). When the calendar enters a year of the animal one is born under, it tends to be a year of high-fluctuating luck. Both the good and bad moments will stand out for Rabbits in this year of the Water Rabbit. In particular, Rabbits may experience difficulties in health and wealth. But, with hard work and high energy, they could experience major career changes that will affect them for the next twelve-year cycle.
Jenna Peterson is junior writing about anything and everything astrology related. She is also the managing editor of the Daily Trojan.
Retrospective poetry of Spring Festival Lunar New Year history celebrated and recounted through traditional poems. By XIAoXuAn JIA Staff Writer
Spring Festival, also known as Lunar New Year, is one of the most anticipated, large-scale and celebratory seasons in Chinese culture. Around this time each year, families and loved ones gather no matter how far away or busy they are. Children who are on winter breaks, adults would be on national holidays and all family members would reunite as a large household for Reunion dinner (年夜饭) and staying up together (守岁). Weeks before Spring Festival, from metropolises to small towns, you can see decorations in bright red hung up around both residential and recreational spaces — all sizes of red Chinese knots, red lanterns, decorative firecrackers, “福” (meaning bliss or good fortune) calligraphy and
hand-cut red paper art portraying blossoming f lowers, auspicious animals and sometimes vivacious kids with great intricacy and vividness. Making handcrafted decorations, going to temple fairs, figuring out lantern riddles and exchanging festive goods are the activities that make up most of the fun and laughter during these days. Among these rituals, one historically-practiced and valued cultural practice is writing poems. With brushes filled in black ink, literates in the would handwrote two rhyming and propitious phrases known as spring couplets (春联) on two pieces of red rectangular Xuan paper. Even now, families and households hang up three-set couplets onto their door frames. These short poems would usually contain new-year wishes, depict auspicious scenes and express expectations and wishes for good fortune to each other. The following recollection of
poems including couplets offers a retrospective glimpse to the historical celebration of Lunar New Year in the most traditional and poetic literary forms. “Yuan Hui Shi” by Cao Zhi (192-232)《元会诗》曹植 Period: State of Cao Wei, the Three Kingdoms period of China The prince of the state of Cao Wei, Cao Zhi, was more widely known for his poems and artistic talents. He wrote this fourword poem at a New Year assembly celebrating the Spring Festival. Probably created with the company of people from high standing, this poem starts by praising the admirable guests and the auspicious season of the New Year. As he contemplates the past years, he expresses his deep longing for eternal and unending joy and laughter. 初岁元祚，即日惟良。 乃为嘉会，宴此高堂。 … 愿保兹善，千载为常， 欢乐尽娱，乐哉未央。
“Spring Couplet” by Wang Xizhi (317-420) 春联 王羲之 Period: the Dong Jin dynasty In this short poem of spring couplet, the famous calligrapher, politician and writer Wang Xizhi depicted a vibrant scene of birds chirping from northern country to southern suburbs, spring rain and winds awaiting the new year, new season and new blessings. Neatly parallel, his spring couplet is still widely used and hung by many each year. 莺啼北里 燕语南郊 春风春雨春色 新年新岁新恩 “Yuan Ri Shu Huai” by Lu Zhaoling (634-689)《元日述怀》卢 照邻 Period: the Tang dynasty This poem was written on the first day of the year by the Tang poet, Lu Zhaoling, who appeared to be undergoing drastic turbulence amid his political career. In this poem,
he conveys the earnest wish for the good and prosperity of life while also welcoming every new change at the same time. 愿得长如此， 年年物候新。 “Su Zhong Qing” by Yan Shu (991-1055) 《诉衷情-海棠珠缀 一重重》晏殊 Period: the Northern Song dynasty This beautiful and simple poem was written by the Northern Song dynasty politician, poet, songwriter and essayist, Yan Shu. In short, soft and colorful words, he describes how the f low of time resembles the gentlest wind, touching and swinging f lowers and leaves. His poem reminds me of those impressionist paintings that seem to only appear in dreams — mysterious yet touching on a personal level. 如花似叶， 岁岁年年， 共占春风。 | see POETRY, page 9 |
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NEWS & OPINION
Saturday night saw the murder of 10 people at a site of Lunar New Year festivities in Monterey Park. The Daily Trojan grieves with the victims and their families. We have decided not to publish any photos of the Monterey Park festivities that show clearly visible faces out of respect for the victims and their families. Help is available: Call Campus Support and Intervention at 213-740-0411 or email uscsupport@usc.edu.
Our photographers took to the streets to cover the first weekend of Lunar New Year festivities at the Port of Los Angeles, the Thien Hau Temple and Monterey Park.
LOS ANGELES CELEBRATES THE LUNAR NEW YEAR
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At the Thien Hau Temple in Chinatown, dragon dancers performed to a soundtrack of live drums as a c packed the temple. The performance lasted for hours, culminating in fireworks.
Anthony Clingerman | Daily Trojan
Martial arts students performed for a crowd of onlookers as the sun set over the Port of Los Angeles. One student broke a block of wood.
Festival-goers wrote wishes for the new year on cards they hung on an arch of branc
TruonG | On a Tết alone LEE | “I turned back to my roots: to food” | continued from page 8 |
(Vietnamese black coffee). No wonder my parents were fighting. We don’t clean during the first four days of Tết; we wouldn’t want to sweep away all the good luck. After all the cleaning, we’d sit as a family, huddled around baskets of banana leaves and glutinous rice soaked in water making bánh tét, a Central/ South Vietnamese rice cake made of glutinous rice, mung beans and pork belly. It’s a traditional dish eaten for — wait for it — good luck. See the pattern? It was back-breaking work. But it was one of the few things that got us together as a family. So we’d scoop generous heapings of rice onto banana leaves, add the filling and roll them up and tie them into a neat little package, each person doing their part in the multi-step process. And on the day before Tết, we’d get into our áo dài and go to the temple to offer food, thanks and prayers to whatever larger being was out there. We’d watch múa lân parades, as lion dancers (they’re actually Vietnamese unicorns) and Ông Địa, the Earth God, prance up and down the streets. We’d play bầu cua cá cọp (lit. ‘gourd crab fish tiger’),
a Vietnamese gambling game and Tiến lên, the Vietnamese card game also known as “Thirteen.” We’d enjoy the fruits of our labor. We’d exchange lì xì (lucky money) in little red envelopes and eat the food we’d prepared the days before. And as the clock strikes midnight, we’d end the day by lighting firecrackers to ward off evil spirits. On my first Tết away from home I sat homesick, missing the bickering of my family. I missed the stupid arguments they’d have after drinking too much, after losing too much money gambling. I missed the smell of gunpowder that filled the air. The red casings of firecrackers littering the streets. That year, I forgot to clean. Forgot to ward off evil spirits and give up offerings. And so, I sat there all alone, peeling mandarin after mandarin and lighting a single stick of incense, offering a silent prayer to the boy I love. Because in that moment, I could use all the luck I could get.
Man Truong is a junior writing on reflections made in life. In a world full of different personal beliefs and philosophies, he makes sense of it in his column, “Lessons Learned.”
| continued from page 8 |
Korean food and culture. From connecting with the Korean American Student Association to regularly relying on microwavable white rice, Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong, BCD Tofu House and Oakobing, when everything was in limbo, I turned back to my roots: to food. Food plays a big role in our lives. You need food to survive, and what food you choose to eat is based on a set of variables, including availability, proximity, efficiency, ability and more. Food, simply put, is deeply intertwined with culture and identity. Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, is based in China’s origin as an agricultural society: a celebration of and request for good harvests. Partakers typically eat fish (meaning surplus or abundance) for good luck, glutinous rice ball soup, New Year’s cake and Jiǎozi. In Vietnamese culture, Lunar New Year is called Tết. During this time, Viet households are adorned with kumquat trees and flowers, and stomachs are
satisfied with five-fruit platters, bánh chưng (savory sweet rice cakes) and bites of sugar-laden dried fruits or roasted seeds known as mứt tết. For Koreans celebrating Seollal, cha-rye — a tea offering ceremony — tteokguk — rice cake soup — and Dosoju — liquor for “fending off evil spirits” — is customary. These items are often supplemented with other Korean dishes and drinks, such as sikhye, hangwa, japchae, galbijjim and jeon. Asian cultures and societies each celebrate Lunar New Year differently, but they all have one thing in common: food. Some foods represent abundance, prosperity and good luck. Others, such as those made from glutinous rice, symbolize togetherness. This Seollal, I unfortunately won’t be home. As I write this, I’m typing on my iPad on an offline Google Doc in the middle seat of a truck on my way to Mammoth. But, I’ll still be celebrating in little ways. That is, Shin Ramyun over the stove on Sunday. On Monday, I’m heading over to
Seong Buk Dong with a friend for some tteokguk (although their samgyetang is looking pretty tempting…), and later, Oakobing. While children may have similar lunchboxes, their contents are unique. Each lunch is crafted with love and indicative of identity, culture and community. In short, there is no cookie cutter recipe to being perfect, or being Korean. It matters not what others think, but what you think, the value you place on the topic discussed and in what ways you internalize or externalize it. When you open up the box, look at the things placed inside. This Lunar New Year, it’s in the little things. The big things. The random things. The pretty things. The ugly things. The difficult things. The tasty things.
Victoria Lee is a freshman writing about the APIA experience in America. She is also the Wellness and Community Outreach Director for the Daily Trojan. Her column, “Your College Unnie,” runs every other Wednesday.
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J A n u A r y 2 3 , 2 0 2 3 | W W W. d A I Ly T r o J A n . C o M
Tomoki Chien | Daily Trojan
At the Monterey Park festival, a street vendor grilled skewered meat in front of a large crowd of onlookers waiting for their orders.
Anthony Clingerman | Daily Trojan
Spectators watched a taiko drum performance at the Port of Los Angeles Saturday.
Tomoki Chien | Daily Trojan
moki Chien | Daily Trojan
crowd of hundreds
Dozens of babies were in the crowd of hundreds at the Thien Hau Temple, most hitching rides on their parents’ shoulders.
Anthony Clingerman | Daily Trojan
Dancers performed a traditional routine at the 9th Annual Port of Los Angeles Lunar New Year Festival.
Tomoki Chien | Daily Trojan
ches at Monterey Park. One read “to be happy and healthy,” while another read “death to landlords.”
In the Chinese zodiac, the Year of the Rabbit heralds peace, calm and introspection.
Tomoki Chien | Daily Trojan
Tomoki Chien | Daily Trojan
A man passed out red envelopes to the crowd at the Thien Hau Temple, occasionally pausing to crack jokes. Another man to his right refilled the bowl with envelopes out of a box as the bowl emptied.
A woman burned incense at the Thien Hau Temple before praying to the temple’s idols. The air was thick with smoke.
OpiniOn
P A G E 8 | M o n dAy, JA n uA ry 2 3 , 2 02 3 | WWW.DAILYTROJAN.COM/O P I N I O N
Grief, tangerines and the moon — lessons on morality table of my apartment, forcing down what was my first (and probably my last) meal of the day. It was Tết and there I was, all alone, eating Cuties mandarin oranges, one after the other. Mandarins are eaten during Tết as a symbol of wealth and good luck. And, God, could I have used some good luck. Ttch. Blood began to pool up under my thumb as the mandarin peel slipped under my fingernail, splitting skin and nail. Just what I needed. After cursing the heavens, I continued to peel mandarin after mandarin into spirals, stars and ugly piles of peel that broke off a bit too soon. I’m not superstitious. I’ve never been. But grief had me looking for luck in the strangest of places. It’s funny how we do that. Anyone who celebrates the New Year understands how hectic things get as it approaches. I’d wake up to the sound of my sister’s nagging, my parents bickering. It’s almost Tết — that means we have to clean EVERYTHING. And so I would vacuum the house. My mom, sweeping. Sister, throwing out hoarded objects. And my dad, smoking a Marlboro cigarette with
Man Truong LESSONS LEARNED
Content warning: This piece contains references to death.
L
ook at the Moon. It’s the same Moon whether you look at it from here in Los Angeles or anywhere else in the world, we share the same Moon. Isn’t that neat? When I was six, I remember walking home late at night from my cousin’s house. The night was cold, and soft moonlight peeked through the clouds, shedding light onto the sidewalk, as if illuminating my way home. Trying to grab the elusive ball of light in my childsized hands, I ran after it, with my light-up Skechers keeping away the dark. But it was too far away. In an attempt to be a little closer to the Moon, I asked my dad for a shoulder ride. And so we walked home, 7,533 miles from our humble hamlet in Việt Nam. Tết Nguyên Đán, better known as Tết or Lunar New Year, is celebrated
daniel Chung | Daily Trojan
on the first new moon of the lunisolar calendar. Other variations of it are celebrated in China (Chūnjié), Korea (Seollal) and other countries within the Sinosphere. “Xuân đã về, xuân đã về (spring is coming),” and “Tết
Tết Tết Tết đến rồi (Tết has come).” Vietnamese communities around the world know the lines to these songs all too well. Spring is here, and it’s time to celebrate — right? I remember my second year
spending Tết away from home: Feb. 1, 2022. I had recently received news that the boy I was dating at the time was killed in a tragic car accident. And so at 2:34 p.m., I got out of bed, washed my face and sat at the dining
| see TRUONG, page 6 |
Home in a lunchbox
years, as a Korean American, there were (and still are) times where I don’t feel rooted. Maybe it’s a white teacher who doesn’t care to take attendance and pronounce the majority Asian names on the list because, in her words, she “didn’t grow up in the system.” Or this: the lunchbox scene. In this case, it’s often the result of innocent ignorance — genuine unfamiliarity paired with a lack of proper manners. Yet, regardless of the intention, the impact is still there. The feeling of being different. “Other.” While you can try to “teach” them, in most cases, I found that my sense of unease came not from others, but from within. “Why would they say that? Was I really that different? ” were the questions I asked myself. In reality, the questions I should’ve asked were “Why do I care so much? ” “Why am I insecure in my identity? ” “Why do I think being different is a bad thing? ” It’s not, but we’re conditioned to think it is. I love food. Give me a time and a place, and I’ll be there. Which is pretty great, because gastronomically, my hometown is pretty diverse. Within a 30 to 45 minute radius, restaurants offer dishes ranging from Nigerian-style small chops to locally-sourced
Victoria Lee YOU R CO L L EGE U N NIE
E
lementary students gather around a hexagonal wooden table. Eyes are bright in anticipation as voices chatter excitedly and shoulders are jostled. One by one, people slide lunchboxes up from under the table and open them. They are pink, yellow and blue; tin and nylon and brown paper bags; rectangle and square and pyramid shaped. They all hold similar lunches – PB&J or crackers and cheese with bite-sized morsels of fruit or dessert. Dark hair in neatly plaited braids and almond eyes that cautiously study her peers break with the table’s standard Western features. After a moment of observing, she hesitantly pulls her rectangular pink plaid lunchbox towards her. Brows furrowed, she slowly drags the zipper along its path, pausing briefly before peeling back the top flap. Her tablemates, intrigued, lean in and vie for a look. “Ew, what is that? ” Despite having lived in the United States for more than 18
French pâté. There’s a multitude of boba shops abound — as a regular at Gong cha, Tiger Sugar and ShareTea, I can confirm. Yet, despite the rich food and diverse opportunities, I found myself unable to share this same zeal when it came to food from my own culture. It’s almost as if I was blocked from loving Korean food. No matter how many times I ate it or
was around it, I just, couldn’t. Whenever I would see or smell the bright aromas of kimchi or other Korean foods, voices from my past would mix in with the scents. “You’re not Korean enough” “Are you even Korean? ” “You sound so white!” Rather than enjoying the spicy, sweet and umami flavors, each bite reminded me that I fell short of
expectation. In a way, I couldn’t let myself fully embrace Korean food. I didn’t think I was deserving of it. I didn’t think I was enough to enjoy it and represent Korean culture. My first semester of college, I didn’t go home until winter break. “Home” is over 1,400 miles away. Deeply wistful, I turned to | see LEE, page 6 |
Andrea orozco | Daily Trojan
Daily Trojan VOLUME 208, NUMBER 8
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POETry | Stories told through traditional Lunar New Years decorations | continued from page 5 |
“Yu Yin” by Wang Siwei (1526-1585) 《馀音》张四维 Period: the Ming dynasty This poem by Zhang Siwei is a playful and vivid description of the festive activities surrounding the new year, as he was looking forward to fresh sceneries, new parties and people. 新春新景开新宴， 看取新年乐事绵。 “Hua Kai Ji Jie” (Season of Blossoms) by Meng Wenhao 《花开季节》 孟文豪 This modern poem written by Meng Wenhao was later recited at
a national Spring Festival Gala and produced into a short song under the same name, “Season of Blossoms.” Wenhao uses pigments of snow, sunlight, dreams and flowers to convey the inception of a new year, filled with new hope and love. 风 吹走冬天的雪 春 带来和煦阳光 爱 在梦中慢慢醒来 花儿 渐渐露出笑脸 For me, Spring Festival, or “Guo Nian”— (过年) literally translated as “pass the year,” meaning the celebration and welcoming of the coming year — is remembered by the excitement of returning to my
grandpa’s countryside cottage in Southeast China. It means playing firecrackers in freezing temperatures with frozen earlobes and a runny nose, devouring homemade specialty jiaozi and yuan xiao which are glutinous rice balls with sweet and amorous sesame or red bean paste inside, and tailing adults around for lucky money. Winter break has been the long-awaited retreat for my entire family, as well as my annual homage to simplicity and innocence that is reminiscent of a distant past. As time passes and surroundings change, reading these poems still reminds me of the gentlest and softest emotions that fill people with love, passion and hope.
Maria Dorraj | Daily Trojan
‘Five Easy Hot Dogs’ is easy, but not great
By HAnnAH COnTrErAS Staff Writer
Mac DeMarco has returned after four years without an album release with a melancholy, moving instrumental album. “Five Easy Hot Dogs” continues DeMarco’s trend of slower, reflective music, much like his previous two records. The album ebbs and flows through different moods, and while it feels like an authentic effort from one of indie’s most beloved darlings, the album is just good and nothing more. DeMarco wrote the album on a road trip from Los Angeles to a cabin in Utah, his plan being to “start driving north, and not go home to Los Angeles until I was done with a record,” according to his album announcement. It’s obvious that each location had a different emotional impact on DeMarco. While most of the songs are similar and carry that distinctive DeMarco sound of sunshine and shade, they all vary enough to carry you to a different place in your life when you hear them. “Gualala” opens the record with springy guitars, the twang of which seems to echo days of bygone summers, when the sunset hit the rock cliffs just right and the sand between your toes was starting to dry. Each track feels tinged with melancholy in the way most DeMarco tracks are. “Crescent City” is slower and features a repeated, almost moaning synth in the background that turns the easily strummed acoustic guitar more somber. The synth grounds the song, making it feel like the soundtrack for loneliness.
Still, it’s hard to ignore the fact that the tracks are so similar. If you closed your eyes and ignored the track names, it could feel like the whole record is one big song, simply weaving in and out. If you like Mac DeMarco and his characteristic sound, then this is great — it’s nearly 35 minutes of easy listening instrumental. If the slow-to-change riffs and stoned quality of DeMarco’s instrumentals irritate you, though, then you won’t get much out of this. “Five Easy Hot Dogs” lacks the relatable, introspective lyrics of DeMarco’s earlier work, from the intensely personal “Watching Him Fade Away” to the beautiful, full-of-love “My Kind of Woman.” The songs on “Five Easy Hot Dogs” are still full of emotion, but their repetitiveness makes them blend together into something more generic. Despite this quality, DeMarco seems content with the album in its finished form. “I was in it while I was in it, and this is what came out of it, just the way it was,” DeMarco wrote in the album announcement. This “go with the flow” attitude accurately describes the record. It’s not DeMarco’s best work — not by a long shot — but it does feel reflective of a certain moment in time. Every song was recorded and mixed in the city after which it was named, and the album is presented in chronological order of DeMarco’s road trip stops. After a careful listen to each of the songs on the record, DeMarco’s ideology of living in the moment becomes starkly apparent. The bouncy guitars on “Chicago” are funky and fun, an upbeat mood that continues into “Chicago 2,” in which bright, full synths add a warmth that feels like sunshine on a cold day. Standing in contrast are “Portland” and “Portland 2,” both of which carry a greater weight, and
the beeps and clicking percussion on “Portland” sound almost ominous. “Portland 2” echoes this and both tracks feel like something is missing — like DeMarco was searching for something in Portland that he didn’t find. “Five Easy Hot Dogs” seems to be a palate cleanser for DeMarco. Recording and producing each of the tracks in the cities he visited as a way of capturing a moment in time seems like the perfect challenge for someone looking for something new. Yet, all the tracks include trademarks of DeMarco’s sound — play one second of any of them and anyone will be able to tell you who made it — so it feels like there’s nothing new or fresh about them besides being instrumentals. If it felt right to DeMarco to focus purely on the music and how it can convey a message, all the more power to him. There’s nothing revolutionary about these tracks, though. There’s no jump in style, no move forward into uncharted territory. It’s simply the ol’ reliable sounds, again and again. The songs are okay; they’re all solid DeMarco tracks — perfect for a lazy beach day with friends or an afternoon nap under the sleepy California sunshine. Unfortunately, that’s all they are: okay, as a middling effort from an artist who must have needed something different from what he was doing before. It’ll be interesting to see where DeMarco goes after this album. He’s moved into slower, more introspective work in his last two albums, and “Five Easy Hot Dogs” continues that trend. Will he come up with something new — not necessarily different, but at least engaging — or will he tread the same old worn path, churning out his reliable sounds until we’re sick of them?
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TEaMS | Chelsea, Golden State Warriors and others partake in Lunar New Year festivities | continued from page 12 |
Stateside, the Golden State Warriors celebrated Lunar New Year by hosting events such as a rabbit petting zoo, arts and crafts and performances by a variety of groups over the weekend. On Saturday, the Warriors held a free event at Thrive City with activities ready for visitors and a 5-foot-tall statue of a rabbit, one of five locally designed statues scattered throughout San Francisco. On Sunday, the Warriors faced off against the Nets — also doing things to celebrate the new year. Those in attendance received red envelopes, a traditional gift during Lunar New Year which symbolizes good wishes and luck, upon entry as well as being
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J a n u a r y 2 3 , 2 0 2 3 | W W W. D a I Ly T r O J a n . C O M
treated to in-game performances by Lion Dance Me, Lisa Performing Arts and Thunder Kung Fu as well as many others. They also had special edition Lunar New Year shirts for sale at any Warriors shop. Other NBA teams hosted events to celebrate as well. The Memphis Grizzlies hosted an in-game dance performance before tip-off by the Ming Dance Team and a Kung Fu showcasing by the Tennessee Happy Kung Fu School at half time on Wednesday in their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Washington Wizards also had some spectacles set up in their routing of the Orlando Magic Saturday. Like many others, they had performances for the
fans’ viewership. A thing to note was a video at half-time of China’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Qin Gang celebrating the new year and to continue celebrations in the United States — his first public message to the U.S. since his appointment as foreign minister. Gang also made a point to talk about the Wizards’ relationship with China since they were the first NBA team to visit the nation back in 1979. As celebrations continue for the next two weeks, a lot of professional sports teams across the world are partaking in Lunar New Year and creating a welcoming environment for all their fans who celebrate it.
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Brooks Taylor | Daily Trojan
Simon Gallas was the 3rd highest score on the squad against UC Santa Barbara. Freshman outside hitter Dillon Klein topped the list with 20 kills and grad student opposite hitter Kevin Kobrine got 15.
VOLLEyBaLL | The Trojans take down #12 UC Santa Barbara in close match | continued from page 12 |
back, winning another set 25-22. But Santa Barbara didn’t go quietly. UCSB grabbed an early lead in the fourth set and continued to build on it. They came away with a decisive 25-18 set win, knotting the match at 2-2, and forcing a winner-take-all fifth set. With the game on the line, both teams refused to give an inch. With the score knotted at 11-11 in the short, first-to-15 set, Sprague was thrust into the spotlight at a crucial moment once again. It was Sprague’s turn to serve, and the pressure was on. Good serving could help the Trojans take the lead. All Sprague felt in that moment was excitement. “I’ve dreamed of this moment my whole life, I’ve been an SC fan my whole life, so all I’ve ever wanted to do is come play in the Galen Center,” Sprague said. “So I was like, let’s just go live it, let’s just go have the best time ever. I’ll never forget this.”
He rose to the occasion. When his turn to serve ended, it was 14-12 Trojans. One service error from UCSB later, and the Trojans were celebrating a fifthset win against a tough team. Nygaard was full of respect for Santa Barbara and praise for his Trojans after the victory. “You have to earn it from [UCSB], they’re never gonna give it to you,” Nygaard said. “So, we know they play great volleyball, we knew we were in for a long haul, and I’m just really proud of our guys for having that resilience.” Sprague was a hero for the energy and spark he brought to the offense, but he also stuffed the stat sheet for good measure. His 30 assists and 12 digs were good for his first collegiate double-double. Sprague felt like his skilled teammates made it easy to come in and perform. “I just let our hitters eat,” Sprague said. “We got [graduate
transfer outside hitter] Kevin Kobrine and [freshman outside hitter] Dillon Klein, and no one can jump with them. No one could jump with them today in that gym.” Speaking of Klein, the freshman phenom led the team in kills once again with a whopping 20. If he continues to have success, Trojan fans might have to start calling him “Killin’” Klein. It all came together for a 3-2 victory that sent the record-breaking crowd into a frenzy. Nygaard made sure to thank the fans for the energy they brought all night. “I love every one of them,” Nygaard said. “It was such a beautiful, wonderful evening. The energy was electric.” Trojan fans’ next opportunity to catch their men’s volleyball team at Galen Center will be on Wednesday, Feb. 15 vs. Grand Canyon University at 7 p.m.
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PaGE 12 | MOnDay, January 23, 2023 | WWW.DAILYTROJAN.COM/SPORTS
teams conduct activities for lunar new year
Men’s volleyball earn hard-fought home opener win
Sports sides across the world had a variety of ways to celebrate the new year. By JaSOn LOPEZ LOPEZ Sports Editor
Lunar New Year celebrations have started around the globe and professional sports teams are joining in on the festivities — some have released special edition kits and others are holding events. Premier League side Manchester City F.C. released a Lunar New Year kit earlier this month with star players Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne and Ederson Moraes sporting the elegant blue and gold jersey in the promo shoot. Man City also released a track jacket among other pieces of apparel for sale on their official shop site, with the jacket portraying a pair of rabbits on the back, symbolizing the beginning of the Year of the Rabbit in many countries. Fellow English team Chelsea F.C. released a Lunar New Year themed training kit this year. While the overall design isn’t new since it’s essentially the same training kit they’ve been using during warm-ups for their matches, the Blues have added a graphic of a rabbit on the center. The team will sport the kit during warm-ups Jan. 29 for the Women’s FA Cup match against Liverpool and the men’s team will don it against Fulham in the Premier League Feb. 3. This past week, Spanish giants Real Madrid C.F. released a video regarding the new year with defenders David Alaba and Antonio Rüdiger playing a variety of mini games falling under the theme of Lunar New Year. The Madridistas also released a Lunar New Year edition bomber jacket. Like Man City’s jacket, it features a large graphic on the back. F.C. Barcelona hosted an event yesterday before their league match against Getafe C.F. celebrating the new year, with a multitude of activities conducted at the Spotify Camp Nou. A traditional dragon and lion dance performance, musical acts and Chinese calligraphy were some of the activities that were listed on the team’s official website. The Catalan side also lined up in kits that had their names in Chinese characters before reverting back to their normal kits for kick-off. | see TEAMS, page 11 |
Brooks Taylor | Daily Trojan
Redshirt junior opposite hitter Simon Gallas rose up high against UCSB to contend for the ball in the Trojans’ 3-2 win against them Thursday.
Adjustments fueled the Trojans to their first ranked win of the season. By ETHan InMan Staff Writer
In front of a record-setting crowd, the No. 10 USC men’s volleyball team captured their first ranked win of the season against UC Santa Barbara in their home opener Thursday night. “It was a really great night of volleyball,” said Head Coach Jeff Nygaard. “It made me proud of
USC and it made me proud of what we’re doing.” The stage was set for a great night of volleyball. One thousand five hundred and eight fans packed Galen Center, setting a record for attendance at a home opener for men’s volleyball. The Trojans looked to make it a game to remember for the fans, with a big ranked win against a team they had lost to just a couple weeks earlier. But, in a heavyweight fight of a first set in which both teams hit well, UCSB landed more blows for a 25-21 set win and a 1-0 match lead. For much of the second set, it looked
like the slow start might be turning into a bad game. With the score 11-5 in the second set and the team already down 1-0, the mood of the jubilant opening night was threatening to sour. In response, Coach Nygaard inserted freshman setter, Ryan Sprague, into the lineup. With Sprague doing the setting, something clicked for the offense. “I think the rest of the game we hit .500,” Nygaard said. When Sprague was put into the game, he immediately felt the excitement of playing in his first home collegiate match against old friends and used that energy to his advantage.
“I was fired up,” Sprague said. “I’ve played against these guys [on UCSB] my whole life … I was just really fired up to be a part of this game.” Behind Sprague’s energy and a will to come back, the Trojans won the second set 25-22 and tied the match 1-1. The momentum carried over to the pivotal third set. With the score nearly even midway through the set, redshirt junior opposite hitter Simon Gallas scored back-to-back service aces, the first two service aces of the game for either team. The Trojans never looked | see VOLLEYBALL, page 11 |
A halted tradition resumes, sort of The Hong Kong Football Lunar New Year Cup looked a bit different in 2023. By PaTrICK WarrEn Associate Managing Editor
The world is still recovering from the spectacle that was the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which saw Argentinian forward Lionel Messi cement his status as one of soccer’s all-time greats with Argentina’s win over France in the final. The world is also still recovering from an unprecedented pandemic that put a halt to routine parts of daily life, from going to work or school in person to attending live sporting events. For Hong Kong, sports have provided an opportunity to
celebrate both a beloved holiday and the beginning of a return to normalcy. After a three-year hiatus, the city hosted the Lunar New Year Cup, with Kitchee defeating Eastern AA in penalties 4-2 after finishing extra time at 1-1 in the finale of the 119th season of the Hong Kong Senior Shield. While it was an adapted version of an annual tradition, the match was well-received by the community. More than 1,000 fans bought tickets prior to the game, with many more purchasing admission at the box office. “All we want to see is our players enjoying a good match, and the fans come and feel happy to watch the game during the festive time,” said Roberto Losada, current Eastern AA
Head Coach and former Kitchee Footballer of the Year. The Lunar New Year Cup, an annual tournament in Hong Kong between international soccer squads, was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic just days before it was slated to take place in 2020. Over the next two years, coronavirus woes continued to befall the tournament, which was last played in 2019. The tournament’s absence, having been a holiday tradition since 1908, left a hole in the Hong Kong soccer community. “We grew up in the days of the Lunar New Year tournament which was the biggest event of the year, especially in the late last century,” said Chu Chi-Kwong, Kitchee Head Coach, in an interview with the South China Morning Post.
“It was the major activity on New Year’s Day as we went to Hong Kong Stadium to watch football after having the family lunch,” Chi Kwong said The event, which was at one point an opportunity for different countries to visit Hong Kong during the widelycelebrated holiday, continued in a different fashion Sunday. Previously, teams from all over the world took part in the Lunar New Year celebration in Hong Kong, with the New York Cosmos the last participating team from a United States-based league. Despite a change in the cup’s traditional participants, there was a great deal of excitement leading up to the first Senior Shield cup final since the pandemic began. “We hope fans and even those
who do not attend domestic games regularly can come on Sunday to spend a wonderful afternoon filled with exciting football and a festive atmosphere,” Chi Kwong said. Officials plan to resume international play in the summer, leading the way to the potential that come 2024, the Lunar New Year Cup could once again host teams from around the globe. However, some speculate that the Hong Kong Football Association could continue hosting its final on Lunar New Year weekend. “We know that it is difficult to get overseas teams during this period, so the Football Association could consider making the domestic cup final a regular fixture for this weekend, like the Lunar New Year Cup,” Chi-Kwong said.