With the sound of banging gongs, dancing dragons, and lines crawling along the cafeteria as students wait to get drinks and snacks, Lunar New Year Week at Bishop’s is all about celebrating community and the schools’ rich diversity. The Global Education program, directed by Dr. David Moseley, organized the weeklong event: dozens of dedicated parent volunteers planned, led, and hosted days filled with enriching celebrations. EASA and DEIJ also collaborated on this vibrant and illuminating series.
Monday: Kicking off Lunar New Year week
To kick off the week of Lunar New Year celebrations, parents organized the Asian cuisine potluck — a Bishop’s tradition as well as a student favorite. Featuring foods from various cultures like Korea, China, and Thailand, the potluck served both delicious food and an introduction to the following days of celebration to come. Above, Michael Lu (‘29) leaves the MBR with a full plate of spring rolls, kimchi, mango sticky rice, and kimbap.
Tuesday: Thai Day
A serendipitous moment of the raffle draw was when Brady Le (‘29) won a bag of Thai tea powder, “I’m so happy, I feel like I am about to cry. I’m really emotional,” he exclaimed
“I saw so many people winning the raffle and I’ve been standing here for quite a long time and I’ve always wanted to win the raffle. It's a dream come true,” Brady said.
“When my name was called, I saw that the Thai tea was still unclaimed and I really, REALLY wanted to win the Thai tea,” Brady concluded.
And indeed, a few happy tears were shed, as Brady celebrated this moment with his friends.
Wednesday: Korea Day
Parents who helped organize the first part of Korea Day on Wednesday were all dressed in hanbok, one of the traditional clothing of South Korea. Typically, hanbok is worn to celebrate important occasions like weddings and holidays, but is also suitable for Lunar New Year celebrations at Bishop’s!
From left to right, Mrs. Susan Lee — parent of Elaina Lee (‘29), Mrs. Jisun Kim–parent of Jayden Lee (‘31), and Mrs. Sophia Hwang — parent of Leia Park (‘30) posed for a photo, who dubbed themselves “the hanbok ladies”.
Thursday: Korea Day
On Thursday, the second day of celebrating Korean culture, the bookmark stand was replaced by a cosmetics booth. Organized by the Korean Parents Association, the booth featured a wheel, where students were able to spin for prizes provided by the parents. Prizes ranged from samples, facial wipes, and for those who were lucky — boxes of face masks, used to rejuvenate and make your skin shinier. Jake Kim (‘26), a leadership member of the East Asian Student Association (EASA), explains the addition, “One of the things Korea is known for is its beauty industry. Especially with the rise of K-Cosmetics, we want students to learn how to successfully use Korean beauty products.”
Friday: Chinese Day
On Friday, the last day of the Lunar New Year celebrations, parent volunteers all incorporated red into their outfits, an auspicious color in Chinese Culture, believed to bring good fortune. Students were given the choice to choose between two Chinese beverages — iced lemon or honey jasmine tea. Both paired excellently with Friday’s lunch menu: soy sauce braised chicken.
