Lunar New Year, which began on January 22, is celebrated widely throughout East Asia and marks the beginning of spring and the start of a new lunar cycle, celebrated over the course of 16 days. This year is the Year of the Rabbit according to the Chinese zodiac, which assigns different animals to years over a 12-year cycle.
The Stony Brook University community can celebrate Lunar New Year at several events on campus, beginning with two days of celebration presented by the Faculty Student Association (FSA), in collaboration with the Office of Global Affairs.
Jasmine, located in the Charles B. Wang Center, will present a “New Year Special” menu on Wednesday, January 25, from 5 pm to 8 pm. It will include Lunar New Year sushi rolls, brown sugar syrup milk tea with ice cream and tteok mandu guk, which is rice cake soup with dumplings. There will also be a trivia table and a performance of the Lion Dance at 7 pm.
On January 26 at East and West Side Dine-In, the celebration lasts all day with special breakfast items in the morning and dinner offerings in the evening. The Lion Dance will also be performed at 6 pm at East Side and 6:45 pm at West Side. See the complete menu here.
Two Lunar New Year events will take place at the Wang Center on Friday, February 3, beginning with “Celebrating the Lunar New Year with Tangyuan” from 11 am to noon in the Theatre Lobby. Tangyuan are sweet glutinous rice balls with black sesame filling, a signature dessert served at the Lunar New Year. In collaboration with Campus Dining, Rooted Fare co-founders Ashley Xie and Hedy Yu will teach participants how to make them at the Teaching Kitchen. Registration is free but limited to the first 15 people to sign up. Register online.
“Celebrating the Lunar New Year with Black Sesame Butter” will take place from 3 pm to 5 pm in the Wang Center Theatre and is presented by Rooted Fare, a company that sells black sesame butter, a Chinese pantry staple. Xie and Yu, second-generation Chinese Americans, will talk about their Chinese heritage, culinary culture, and how a new generation of Chinese Americans maintains and enlivens their culture in America. Admission is free, RSVP online.
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