Pinewood celebrated two cultural events
this semester: Lunar New Year and the col-
orful festivities of Holi.
The Lunar New Year event took place
on Feb. 4 in the Upper Campus Gym.
Some of the activities included calligraphy
demonstrations and paper cutting to cre-
ate red couplets, both of which symbolize
good luck in the upcoming year.
There was also jianzi, a traditional Chi-
nese sport in which players try to keep a
weighted shuttlecock in the air using only
their bodies.
Tables offered food samples such as spring
rolls and taught attendees more about the
holiday along with its significance.
Another featured event was the Lion
Dance performance, which was performed
by professional dancers. The dance brings
good luck and drives evil spirits away.
Mandarin teachers Heidi Wang and Ari-
el Song, along with sophomore Sophie
Saibi’s mother, Leilei Song, hosted the Lu-
nar New Year event.
“This is a good opportunity to help them
to know more about the Chinese culture
and learn about what we celebrate,” Song
said.
On March 8 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at
Upper Campus, Pinewood will celebrate
Holi, introducing the community to var-
ious Indian traditions.
Pinewood parent and Holi event orga-
nizer, Sugandh Shaikhar, said the exposure
to different cultures will help build empa-
thy and awareness.
“Celebrating an event makes this a fun,
engaging, and interactive way to learn,”
said Shaikhar. “It is a great way to foster
unity across the Pinewood student body.”
Students and families can enjoy a vari-
ety of activities, such as cricket – an In-
dian classic bat and ball game – and spe-
cial craft making. Food stations will serve
warm chai, a traditional street food tea,
and many other cultural dishes.
The event will end with the Holi tra-
dition of playing with colored powders,
which signifies the triumph of good over
evil and the start of new beginnings.
“We hope people will venture out of their
comfort zone and try out playing ‘colors,’
dancing and joining in to learn how to
play cricket,” Shaikhar said.