{"id":688,"date":"2026-02-13T19:46:43","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T19:46:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/campus-services\/?p=688"},"modified":"2026-02-13T19:50:43","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T19:50:43","slug":"celebrating-chinese-new-year-a-personal-reflection-and-supporting-our-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/campus-services\/2026\/02\/13\/celebrating-chinese-new-year-a-personal-reflection-and-supporting-our-students\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating Chinese New Year: A personal reflection and supporting our students"},"content":{"rendered":"
Samantha Cheung, our City Services Manager, tells us how she celebrates Chinese New Year...<\/em><\/div>\n
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As Chinese New Year approaches, I\u2019m really looking forward to welcoming the Year of the Horse. Chinese New Year (also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival) is one of the most important festivals in the Chinese calendar. It\u2019s traditionally a time for family, food, and fresh beginnings.<\/div>\n
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How I\u2019ll be celebrating<\/b><\/div>\n
For me, the New Year is centred around connection and tradition. I\u2019ll be celebrating with family and friends, sharing a reunion meal, which is often the highlight of the festivities. Typical dishes each carry symbolic meaning \u2014 for example, dumplings represent wealth, fish symbolises abundance, and sweet rice cakes signify growth and progress in the year ahead.<\/div>\n
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I\u2019ll also be making time to call and text my relatives and friends, exchange red envelopes, and enjoy some of the New Year Gala on TV. Even when celebrating away from home, keeping these traditions alive helps maintain a strong bond. Just a feeling of home!<\/div>\n
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What it means for our students<\/b><\/div>\n
For many of our students, especially those studying far from home, Chinese New Year can be a bittersweet time. While it\u2019s joyful, it can also bring homesickness. Family reunion is a central theme of the festival, so being abroad during this period can feel particularly significant.<\/div>\n
A few helpful things to bear in mind:<\/div>\n
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    Timing:<\/b>\u00a0Celebrations typically last 15 days, beginning on New Year\u2019s Eve. Some students may request time off, appear tired (late-night calls home are common!), or feel distracted.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    Cultural practices:<\/b>\u00a0Students may observe traditions such as avoiding certain activities on specific days, wearing red, or participating in local celebrations.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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    Emotional wellbeing:<\/b>\u00a0A simple acknowledgment \u2014 \u201cHappy New Year\u201d go a long way in helping students feel seen and valued.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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    Local celebrations and resources in Bath<\/b><\/div>\n
    For students celebrating in Bath, it may be helpful to signpost local options:<\/div>\n
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      Chinese supermarkets in Bath\u00a0for festive ingredients and decorations.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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      Local Chinese restaurants\u00a0that may offer special New Year menus or celebratory dishes.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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      Student societies (such as Chinese or East Asian societies) which often organise New Year events.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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      Regional celebrations in nearby cities such as Bristol, which typically hosts larger Lunar New Year events.<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      Encouraging students to connect with their cultural societies or attend local celebrations can help foster a sense of community during this important time.<\/div>\n
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      A time for reflection and renewal<\/b><\/div>\n
      Chinese New Year is ultimately about renewal, gratitude, and hope for the year ahead. In our Uni with an international community, it\u2019s a great opportunity for us to recognise and celebrate the diversity of traditions our students bring with them.<\/div>\n
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      Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Samantha Cheung, our City Services Manager, tells us how she celebrates Chinese New Year... As Chinese New Year approaches, I\u2019m really looking forward to welcoming the Year of the Horse. Chinese New Year (also known as Lunar New Year or...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":955,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-events"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/campus-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/campus-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/campus-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/campus-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/955"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/campus-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=688"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/campus-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/688\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/campus-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/campus-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/campus-services\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}