Let the celebration of culture, prosperity, and new beginnings commence as De La Salle University’s ENGLICOM welcomes the year of the Wood Dragon in their flagship event, Chinese New Year 2024: 龙Lasting Roar of Bliss!
As a mainstay in ENGLICOM, the annual celebration of Chinese New Year is in honor of the deeply-rooted traditions of culture from generations past, bringing its vibrance and exuberance for all to experience in the present at the De La Salle University, Manila Campus. The event is usually celebrated with loud showcases of talents, fireworks, and the adornment of red on everything, each coming with their cultural symbolism. But behind the colorful idiosyncrasies lie a period of renewal and welcoming of the future, while inversely also harkening back to one’s roots of community, familial bond, and self-reflection.
In 2024, the year of the Wood Dragon symbolizes ambitious change- a break from the status quo and a celebration of new beginnings. That is the essence of Chinese New Year, an epic display of growth and a warm welcome of the uncertainty of what is to come. And what better way to celebrate it than a week of festivities and games in a hybrid setup? From February 5 to 8 at the Henry Sy Grounds and on Facebook, Lasallians can participate in the wealth of festivities and carefully curated traditional programs like games and performances that bridge the gap between the Filipino-Chinese cultures, creating a nexus that transcends boundaries for enculturation and appreciation of differences.
The first day of the event entitled, “龙Awakening: Unleashing Prosperity with Lucky Clays” begins on February 5, from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM. The event will start with an opening mass, followed by the opening ceremony, traditional lion and dragon dances, and an instrumental performance from the Philippine Koc Hong Music Association. The main event for the day is Pass the Lucky Clay, a test of teamwork by competitively molding clay within a set timer.
The second day, Feast of Flames: A Taste of the Mysterious Chinese Delights commences with student performances from Jasmine Joy Lim, Nicole Sison, and Irvin Ong (known as JetNekko). For the main activity, a game of Taste and Guess the Chinese Food will be played, a guessing challenge where teams must work together to guess the dish presented to them. Day 2 will begin on February 6, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
The festivities continue on the third day, February 7 from 10:00 AM – 6:30 PM in A Melodic Roar: Serenading the Sleeping Dragon, a music-filled experience where Lasallians can celebrate through melodies in Sing the Song, a team game that tests music knowledge and critical thinking. The second half of day 3, The Dragon’s Might: Blazing Across the Sports Relay will test the endurance and athleticism with the C-Sports Relay, an activity that will prove to be a challenge and has no shortage of adrenaline for that much-needed exercise.
The last day of promises to live up to its name by aiming to please with a roar of bliss! On February 8, from 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM, Sticky Palooza: A Glutinous Rice-making Activity starts the day with a literal bang, as the Glutinous Rice Game will pit teams against one another to create the perfect sticky rice consistency! To end the event like how it started, 龙Lasting Night: The Grand Finale features performances from the La Salle Dance Company – Street, De La Salle Innersoul, and Wushu Genesis Philippines, along with the grand raffle to cap off the week.
Chinese New Year is an event that is meant to be shared with all. So, on February 5-8, 2024, ENGLICOM invites everybody to the Chinese New Year 2024: 龙Lasting Roar of Bliss week-long celebration at the Henry Sy Grounds. To learn more about the details of the event, head to the Chinese New Year 2024: 龙Lasting Roar of Bliss Facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/EnglicomCNY
