Cherry Chase Elementary School hosted its eighth annual schoolwide Lunar New Year Celebration on February 2. Performances included a Dragon Dance, a choral recital, a traditional fashion show, multiple traditional dances, and an exhibition of traditional instruments.
First established in 2016, the Lunar New Year Celebration is a PTA (Parent Teacher Association) event with musical and artistic performances by students and volunteers and a chance for the entire family to sample traditional foods, play traditional games, and make traditional crafts. The event is run completely by parent volunteers and features over 120 students from all grade levels. Last year more than 1,200 attended the event virtually and in-person.
The Lunar New Year Celebration showcases the cultural diversity of the Cherry Chase community and focuses on the Lunar New Year festival, also called Chun-jie in Chinese, Tet in Vietnamese and Solnal in Korean, a holiday that is the observance of the start of a new year in the lunar calendar and has been celebrated in many Asian countries over the last 3,000 years. 2024 will be the Year of the Dragon, a mythical animal that symbolizes power, nobility, honor, good luck, and success.
“I had a fantastic time at Cherry Chase Elementary’s Lunar New Year event as we celebrated the Year of the Dragon,” said Sunnyvale Mayor Larry Klein. “ I was impressed by the colorful decorations as well as the festive music and dance performances by both the students and parents. Thanks for highlighting and celebrating Sunnyvale’s diversity!”
“The Cherry Chase 2024 Lunar New Year celebration was a huge success,” said Kristin Brett, Assistant Principal of Cherry Chase. “Cherry Chase students and families created a beautiful event to welcome and celebrate the Lunar New Year. The celebration could not have happened without the dedication of so many families who volunteered their time.”
“My son said it was very exciting running through the crowd in the dragon dance,” said Joy Goor, Audience and parent of a student performer. “I love that our students get the opportunity to participate in performances that embody Asian culture with a few adults mixed in, highlighting what their art can be.”
“Every time I see the phrase ‘it takes a village,’ I think about the Lunar New Year celebration at Cherry Chase,” says Na Qu, a long-time parent volunteer for the event. “Our volunteer group started with only a few parents and grew into a large crew of parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, and neighbors, all pitching in to make the event better each year. As a volunteer, there is nothing more rewarding than hearing our little performers proudly declare they will do it again next year.”
Additional information about the Lunar New Year Celebration at Cherry Chase Elementary School can be found on the event homepage.