As the Year of the Rabbit hops in, Chinese students across the U.S. are blending ancient customs with creative new traditions to mark the Spring Festival 🌸. For many, it’s a bittersweet mix of homesickness and community spirit—like video-calling families during Lunar New Year dinners or crafting handmade dumplings in shared dorm kitchens.
From New York to California, students told CGTN Stringer about their festive hacks: stringing red lanterns in apartments, hosting ‘potluck hotpot nights’ 🍲, and even organizing campus lion dances. \"I video-called my grandma while making niangao [sticky rice cake]—it felt like she was right here,\" said Li Yutong, a NYU grad student.
But it’s not just about nostalgia. Many shared ambitious New Year’s resolutions, from acing exams to launching startups 🚀. \"The Spring Festival reminds me to dream bigger,\" said Zhang Wei, a Boston-based engineering major. Others highlighted cultural pride: \"I’m teaching my American roommates to write fu [blessing] characters—it’s our way of bridging cultures,\" laughed USC junior Chen Mei.
Whether through TikTok livestreams of temple fairs or late-night karaoke sessions singing Mandarin classics 🎤, these students prove that traditions thrive—even 7,000 miles from home.
