By Yan Zhou P’30
MICDS Passport Series welcomed the Year of the Dragon with our parent community enjoying this Lunar New Year celebration on Friday, February 9. The Olson Hall Presentation Room was beautifully decorated with Spring Festival couplets, good luck lanterns, red dragon banners, and all red tableware. Parents, faculty, and students joined the celebration, with many dressed up in qipao and other traditional Asian attire.
The Lunar New Year Event Committee, led by Yen Jan P’22, ’25, ’31, Ellen Song P’24, ’26, Yan Zhou P’30, and Mary Chou P’23, spent two months organizing the celebration. Parents brought homemade traditional Asian food, decorations, art collections, and excellent performances together to create a magical event. Jay Rainey, Head of School, blew the Tibetan horn, symbolizing prosperity and longevity, to welcome in this new year. Adding to it, MICDS Upper School students from the Lion Dance Club put on a moving show that was a highlight of the event. Mary Chou gave an informative presentation about the Lunar New Year’s history and culture. MICDS Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning Dr. Sally Maxwell P’25 was called upon to wish good fortune and prosperity to the MICDS community by tossing the yusheng salad, exquisitely prepared by Yen’s family, high into the air, following a tradition typically practiced in Malaysia and Singapore. Two Tai Chi instructors, Ron Davenport with Yong style Tai Chi and Minghui Zhu with Chen style Tai Chi, gave incredibly elegant and peaceful demonstrations for the audience. Ellen Song and Tal Stein performed Argentine Tango with Chinese traditional music showcasing a terrific combination of both Western and Eastern culture. Later, guests gathered around master Sun Liu and Jenny Loeb P’20, ’25 as they demonstrated artistic Chinese calligraphy.
Guests enjoyed the delicious food prepared by parent volunteers while meeting new people, engaging in conversations with friends, and wishing each other good fortune and luck for the coming year. Thank you to everyone who helped bring this lively event together for our community. How fun to celebrate the Year of the Dragon with our MICDS family!