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On February 9, 2024, the Department of Geography held a Dumpling Making Party to celebrate two cultural events: the Chinese Spring Festival (´º½Ú ch¨±nji¨¦) and Tibetan New Year (Losar). Both cultures follow their own calendars for festivals and holidays. This year, these two holidays coincided with February 10 marking the first day of their respective new years. Geography faculty, staff, and students, along with their families and friends, participated in the party.

We were getting ready to make dumplings.

We were having fun!

And it was the first time that many of us made dumplings¡­

Many thanks to our fellows and friends for their help with the party, including bringing their steamers, wrapping the red envelopes, chopping vegetables, setting up the table, and cooking and serving the dumplings. Special thanks to Hauqingjia (Palchengyal) from the Department of Religious Studies; Aleksander Berg, Drolma Gadou, Annika Hirmke, Shruthi Jagadeesh, Alaric Akhil Kothapally, Michele Lissoni, Taneesha Mohan, Briana Prado, Nic Tarasewicz, Neda Shaban and Gabriella Subia Smith from the Geography department.

Special thanks also to Karen Weingarten, Gabriela Sales, and Brandon Brown for putting together the lovely, festive d¨¦cor at the Guggenheim Building, and to Sean Dunn for coordinating the food purchase.

After the party, participants were gifted a red envelope (ºì°ü h¨®ngb¨¡o) containing one brand-new Chinese one-dollar bill (Ôª yu¨¢n, approximately $0.14 USD). This bill is known as ¡°Ñ¹ËêÇ® y¨¡su¨¬qi¨¢n,¡± literally meaning money to suppress a demon named ¡°Su¨¬.¡± During the Chinese Spring Festival, it is a tradition to gift red envelops to friends and family. According to the Chinese legend, Su¨¬ terrorized children while they slept on Spring Festival Eve. The red envelope is believed to dispel this demon, symbolizing good wishes and prosperity for the new year ahead. Karen kindly added a lucky node (ͬÐĽá t¨®ngx¨©nji¨¦) to each envelope to double up the good luck and prosperity people brought to their homes.

This event was part of a departmental effort, spearheaded by department Chair Jennifer Fluri, to recognize diverse groups and cultures on our ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ campus, promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Losar Tashi Delek to our Tibetan friends, and ÐÂÄê¿ìÀÖ (X¨©nni¨¢n Ku¨¤il¨¨) to our Chinese communities

Organizer and editor

Xiaoling Chen, Research Assistant and Ph.D. Candidate in Geography