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Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is the most important holiday in China. It marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year, typically falling between January 21 and February 20. The Spring Festival is one of the world's most widely celebrated festivals, rich in centuries-old traditions, customs, and rituals designed to bring good luck, health, and wealth.

At the Youth Zone, our participants explored Chinese New Year traditions and discussed this year's zodiac animal, the Snake. While enjoying a traditional Chinese meal of lucky dumplings, everyone took turns reading about their zodiac signs. Our young people shared personal connections to their zodiac traits. Some had mixed feelings about their signs—one youth who was born in the Year of the Monkey said, "I want to be the rat," though they noticed they had traits from both signs. Another youth showed self-awareness when reflecting on their traits, saying "I guess I can be egotistical." The group enthusiastically participated in learning about the holiday and discovering connections to themselves and others. As Maz reflected, "I had a good experience at the Chinese New Year celebration. We learned a lot about our Chinese zodiacs and had fun conversations. We also ate good Chinese food and just overall had a good time."