Wheaton’s East Asian Student Association Executive Board poses with Imperial Lion Dance Group performers. From top left to bottom right: Gabriel Albernaz ’26, Emma Zhou ’27, Rebecca Fang ’28, Stephanie Kumnick ’28, Chumeng Zhang ’27, Mandi Zhu ’26, and Adri Rhee ’27.
On Feb. 20, 2026, the East Asian Student Association (EASA) welcomed students, staff, and faculty alike with red envelopes as they trickled into Emerson Dining Hall for the much-awaited Lunar New Year celebration. The evening featured student dance numbers, a stellar KAOS set, and a guest performance by Dance Revelasian, whose breath-taking martial arts-inspired showcase drew cheers from the crowd.
The evening’s program was thoughtfully curated to keep the audience engaged throughout. Between performances, interludes such as spontaneous Lunar New Year trivia invited audience participation, with winners earning priority passes for food. Did you know why dumplings are traditionally eaten during the new year? Their shape resembles ancient Chinese gold ingots, and eating them is said to usher in prosperity and wealth.
Imperial Lion Dance Group performs the New Year Lion Dance.
The main program culminated in a showstopping Imperial Lion Dance. The lions leapt and weaved through the audience, playfully “nibbling” heads for good luck before ending with a festive burst of confetti. But even after
But even after the final bow, the celebration continued, as students sampled a wide array of East Asian dishes, closing their meals with fortune cookies. Simultaneously, a calligraphy booth hosted by Kunbo Sun ’26 offered students the opportunity to have their names or festive greetings written in Chinese characters on decorative red paper— another keepsake of the evening celebrating the Year of the Fire Horse.