Last Saturday (February 24th), The Library celebrated the Chinese New Year (also known in China as the “Spring Festival”) with some local Chinese language and culture students at the East Shore Area Library.

What a success! Each room was packed with people viewing demonstrations, making crafts, buying handcrafted goods, watching live performances, and learning about Chinese culture.

These rooms were swathed in red, as is traditional of the Chinese New Year. Red is a color of good luck in China, as it was once believed to scare away evil spirits and bad fortune.

Performances included traditional (and not-so-traditional) song and dance. There was also a demonstration of the Chinese yo-yo and a colorful ribbon dance.

There was even a trained calligrapher! Viewers could write down their names, and she would translate these names into Chinese with beautiful brush strokes. She did this at no charge, and everyone could take their name slip as a souvenir. Between performances, this artist would write little messages in Chinese for people who did not have time to wait in line. These included things like “happiness” and “good luck.”

Local Chinese language students made displays especially for the occasion, showing what they were learning and how they had progressed.

There were even handmade goods for sale! Many of the people present were dressed in these and other traditional Chinese apparel.

It was a wonderful start to the Year of the Dog. Just remember, if you were born in either: 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, or 2006…this is your year!

Learn more about different cultures and languages at The Library.