Junior Susie Liu is a part of the International Student Program (ISP) and is an advocate for her Chinese culture. She helped plan various Lunar New Year events at NDB and sat down with The Catalyst to discuss her traditions regarding Lunar New Year.

The Catalyst (TC): What is a unique tradition that your family celebrates on Lunar New Year?

Susie Liu (SL): Usually on the first day, we wear red clothes and then also clean our house. We also spend the day buying the materials for the feast. Then on the next day, usually the first day of the new year, we go to the temple and then go to visit our friends and our families. On the first day we also always watch the New Year’s show, which usually begins at eight o’clock at night. So we watch that show for like four hours to finish the year, since it is one of our traditions.

TC: What foods do you and your family make to celebrate? Who makes the food?

SL: We usually buy the materials on the last day of the year and then we cook it. It includes soup and a lot of traditional Chinese foods. We also drink apple cider. My grandpa and my mom also make chicken and fish together which is really good.

TC: As a part of the celebration, do you make goals? If so, what goals did you set for yourself this year?

SL: So my goal this year is that I hope I can be happy every day. And as a tradition we usually wish our friends or our parents happiness in the new year too. And then we also hope everybody can have more money. But for me, I probably just wish that I will work hard and then be happy every day.

TC: What was your earliest memory of celebrating Lunar New Year?

SL: I can remember since elementary school the traditions we do as a family. I remember watching parades together. I used to love that part of the celebration because it was really fun to watch.

TC: What is your favorite aspect of the holiday?

SL: I like how relaxed it is. We usually get time off of school and our parents get leave so it is very fun to just be surrounded by everyone and stress free. We like to travel or be with our friends so it is always something I look forward to.