News & Events

This article originally appeared in The Global Gazette

by Mary Pieper, Global Gazette

CHARLES CITY — Brigietta Jakob, an exchange student from Indonesia attending New Hampton High School, got a big surprise Sunday.

Her host mother took her to the Chinese New Year celebration at the Charles City Arts Center.

“She wanted me to feel at home,” said Jakob, whose family back home celebrates the holiday.

The event included Chinese delicacies guests were welcome to sample  as well as artwork and clothing displays.

Mingyu Jia of Charles City wrote visitors’ names in Chinese on name tags for them while his wife, Jie Tan, made red paper decorations. Both Jia and Tan are originally from China.

Sunday was Chinese New Year’s Eve, while today is Chinese New Year’s Day. The date for the holiday changes each year according to the lunar calendar.

Grace Chong of Charles City, a native of Taiwan, said a big family banquet on New Year’s Eve followed by fireworks at midnight are Chinese New Year customs.

On New Year’s Day “you go to visit relatives or friends,” Chong said.

People dress in red for the holiday because it symbolizes happiness, according to Jakob.

She said her favorite part of Chinese New Year is getting money in special red envelopes from her parents and other relatives, “and the food, too.”

Among the other visitors Sunday was Ruth Yeaton of Charles City.

“It’s great to know that we have folks who celebrate different holidays and traditions,” she said.

The celebration was part of Cabin Fever Weekend in Charles City.

Nicole Fullard, director of the Charles City Arts Center, said cooperation with the Charles City Diversity Committee helps bring multicultural events like the Chinese New Year celebration to the arts center.

This was the first year for the Chinese New Year celebration. Fullard hopes it will be bigger next year.

“We are just really excited about the sense of community and being able to share and communicate about different traditions from all over the world,” she said.