Ben Wang ’27
Nik Bonney ’27
February is the month when the world glows red. Lunar New Year brings prosperity through bright scarlet lanterns and lucky red envelopes, while Valentine’s Day brings crimson hearts and pink candies. It’s an exciting time, and each year, the Episcopal Academy celebrates both of these holidays with fun traditions and celebrations.
During the Lunar New Year, EA’s Mandarin classes partake in a number of fun activities. “We do chopstick races and dumpling making and tasting,” explains Mandarin teacher Sophie Fu. “This year we also added boba milk tea tasting, a calligraphy session, and a photo booth corner. We have all the props for the New Year there and we take photos.”
Beyond the in-class activities, EA also hosts a Lunar New Year chapel for the middle school, where students and faculty gather to celebrate and reflect on the significance of the holiday. “The Lunar New Year Chapel involves all middle school faculty and students celebrating the New Year, and helps to raise awareness and appreciation for diverse Asian traditions,” Fu says.
For Fu, the best part of the celebration is the joy it brings to many of the students experiencing these traditions for the first time, “My favorite part is seeing students’ excitement in their faces. It is very rewarding and satisfying to see their big smile on their face when they first try the calligraphy or make dumplings, or the ‘aha’ moment they have when they watch the lion and dragon dances in the chapel. That curiosity and excitement is the best part, in my opinion.”
Photo courtesy of Carter Yearley ’25
Elvin Lin ’26 particularly enjoys the food served during the Lunar New Year. “I really like the mango pudding,” Lin explains. At home, Lin enjoys receiving the red envelopes and seeing his family. “I really like having family over because more family means more red packets,” he adds.
Despite the Lunar New Year festivities wrapping up, the spirit of red continues at EA as the focus shifts from luck and prosperity to love and appreciation. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, the school community prepares to celebrate in a different way, exchanging sweet treats and heartfelt notes that bring warmth to cold winter days.
To celebrate, the Student Council is once again sponsoring Candy Grams. But this year, instead of submitting messages through a Google form, students will be able to handwrite their own notes, making them more personal and meaningful. Student Council President, Matt Limaye ’25 says, “We’re going to have a space in the Honor Hall where people can come and write their own Candy Grams.”
By moving away from typed messages, the Student Council hopes to bring back a more genuine experience. “This way, it’s just more personalized and wholesome than just having like a text box that’s typed out,” Limaye says. With the use of handwritten messages, the Student Council hopes to make the tradition more heartfelt, allowing students to express their appreciation for friends and classmates in a genuine way.
Whether celebrating Lunar New Year or Valentine’s Day, EA continues to embrace traditions that will bring the community closer together, making February a month filled with warmth, joy, and of course, plenty of red.