San Jacinto College Central Campus celebrated Chinese New Year with food, fun and festivities on Feb 23.

Amanda Rose is the Coordinator for the Office of Student Life, which sponsored the event in the student center on Central campus.

“This event is being held because we strive to educate our students about other cultures,” Rose said. “We live in a global world, so this is another way to help our students learn about different cultures.”

According to “Chinese New Year Traditions,” an article posted on the History Channel’s website, “Chinese New Year was born out of fear and myth. Legend spoke of the wild beast Nien (which also is the word for “year”) that appeared at the end of each year, attacking and killing villagers.”

The article further states contemporary traditions for celebrating Chinese New Year were adopted from the loud noises, and bright lights used to scare the beast away. In addition, Chinese culture views the New Year as a spring festival and a time to “honor household and heavenly deities, as well as ancestors.”

The New Year is based on the ancient Chinese calendar that includes 12 zodiac animals celebrated in different years. This is the year of the sheep.

Rose said Central campus’s celebration served to commemorate the official holiday, which took place Feb. 19, but that day posed logistical problems because of a staffing shortage in Student Life.

“The only challenge was finding a date on the calendar,” Rose said.

Furthermore, according to Rose, events like this serve multiple objectives.

“Our goals are simply to educate students and provide a social outlet on campus,” Rose said.

Meanwhile, San Jac student, Youmna Hussain said she has not attended a college event of this magnitude in the past.

“It’s the first time on this campus,“ Hussain said. “I went to South (campus) and they don’t really host as many big things there…”

Furthermore, Hussain said she thoroughly enjoyed the celebration along with the commemorative giveaways.

“I think it is a very nice event,” she said, enthusiastically adding, “… I was born the year of the pig.”