More than 200 people flocked to Collegiate United Methodist Church, 2622 Lincoln Way, on Saturday to honor the approaching Chinese New Year.

The Taiwanese Student Association, an organization made up of about 60 students, offered some attendees a foreign taste of New Year’s Day during its Chinese New Year party.

According to About.com, it will be the year 4704 – the year of the dog – when Chinese New Year’s Day falls on Jan. 29. The calendar incorporates 12 astrological animals, which cycle every 12 years.

Although the Gregorian calendar, the solar calendar used nearly everywhere in the world, including the United States, is used in Taiwan as the standard for most day-to-day activities, the Chinese calendar marks traditional holidays such as Chinese New Year.

“We retain the Chinese tradition in celebrating the New Year not on Jan. 1,” said Hsin-Hung Lin, senior in aerospace engineering. “It’s my favorite among all holidays.”

A lunar calendar, in which the average length of a month is between 29 and 30 days, indicates moon phases. The Chinese lunar calendar, on the other hand, is actually a lunisolar calendar, which incorporates elements of a lunar calendar with those of a solar calendar.

“It is a little strange, to me, to celebrate the New Year based on the Chinese lunar calendar,” said Bryce Campbell, graduate student in materials science and engineering who attended the event.

Lin said the Chinese New Year is an important holiday for the Taiwanese.

“It’s like our Christmas,” Lin said.

I-Hsuan Ho, graduate student in civil engineering, said Taiwanese people spend the Chinese New Year with their families as Americans do on Christmas.

“[Families] must be together,” he said. “We eat a hot pot in home with family members that day, and that’s the way we celebrate the Chinese New Year.”

A hot pot is the Chinese version of fondue, according to About.com.

The celebration started with a Taiwanese dinner and also featured a film about Taiwan, a puppet show, games and traditional dances – two of which were presented in collaboration with other organizations. The puppet show was performed by the Taiwanese Student Association from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the “Lion Dance” was presented by the Association of Malaysian Students at Iowa State.

Yao-Chung Hsieh, president of Iowa State’s Taiwanese Student Association and senior in accounting, said the cooperation between universities was secured to demonstrate fuller facets of Taiwanese culture.

Five members of the association from Madison performed a glove puppet show titled “Grandaunt Tiger,” a traditional Taiwanese folktale. The folktale’s lesson was to “never ever let strangers into our home.” Audience members laughed at the comical movement and exchange of puppets and applauded the performers after the show.

“A puppet show is very traditional Taiwanese culture, and this is part of an effort to introduce our culture,” Hsieh said. “And you can see ‘Lion Dance’ in Taiwan on New Year’s Day.”

Karen Chen, freshman in biomedical engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said she was glad to be asked by Hsieh about two weeks ago to perform a puppet show. Travel expenses were covered by the ISU Taiwanese Student Association, and that was all she and other members asked for and received.

“I came all the way from Wisconsin to promote more opportunities for people [at Iowa State] to see and appreciate Taiwan culture,” she said.

On the wall around the room, gold-colored Chinese characters reading “Happy New Year” were written on red backgrounds. The two colors represent good luck in China and Taiwan, and are usually used in weddings and other celebrations.

“That’s why I’m wearing a red sweater today,” said Hsieh.

The celebration lasted for three hours without interruption, full of Taiwanese culture and, for Americans like Campbell, an unfamiliar New Year’s Day.

“I really learned many aspects of Taiwan culture tonight,” Campbell said.