Over 170 students at the Cambridge Judge Business School rang in the new lunar year at a Chinese New Year celebration on January 31. The Lunar New Year holiday is celebrated in many countries throughout Asia, and it is the most important holiday of the year in China.
The celebration was organised by a group of 16 students who wanted to bring the time-honoured Chinese New Year traditions of gathering with family over delicious meals to their fellow students at Cambridge. The party featured many delectable offerings and lively activities for the Judge family. Guests sampled a wide range of delicious dumplings as well as jianbing, a Chinese snack similar to a crepe, freshly prepared by two of the organizers. Guests could even try their hand at Chinese writing at a calligraphy station, where they wrote their names as well as the Chinese character for “fortune,” a common theme of the holiday. Several party goers received some of their fortunes early by winning a lucky draw, which included prizes such as red envelopes, shadow puppets and Chinese bookmarks.
Of course, no Lunar New year party would be complete without karaoke, and a professional DJ, and the main stage provided the perfect opportunity for Cambridge Judge students to showcase their singing abilities at a karaoke competition. The competition was sweetened by the grand prize for the evening: a trip to Paris! Following the karaoke competition, the party organisers led the crowd in singing “Gongxi Gongxi,” a popular Chinese New Year song about wishing happiness and fortune to all.
The party was a fantastic way to share in an important cultural tradition, as well as bring the students of CJBS together after the winter holiday to kick off the new Lent Term. With such a positive reception, hopefully the Chinese New Year party will continue to be an annual tradition across the business school community. Until then, the organisers wish all who joined the party a happy and prosperous 2022! Gongxi facai!
