The year of the goat is almost upon us. 

Iowa State students will be celebrating the Chinese New Year beginning Feb. 19. The Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival as it is commonly known, is celebrated from the last day of the last month of the Chinese calendar to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month.

Chinese Students and Scholars Association will be holding a Chinese Spring Festival Gala on Feb. 15 to celebrate the new year.

The show will start at 6:30 p.m. at the Great Hall of the Memorial Union. The doors will open at 6:00 p.m. and tickets are free to pick up at C4 East Student Office Space in the Memorial Union.

The evening will feature 12 shows, performed by a variety of entertainers selected from the association staff and the public.

Chinese New Year is not held on the same date each year because it is based on the Chinese lunar calendar. Different regions of China have diverse ways of celebrating, but no matter where it is celebrated, it is a time for people to make wishes and get together with family members. The holiday is considered the biggest in China.

“We are all excited to welcome our Chinese New year … each year, the CSSA will hold an event for Chinese students and everybody who wants to know about Chinese culture,” said Yurui Li, junior in industrial engineering and vice president of CSSA. “This year, we are trying to do our shows bilingual. We will be performing lion dance, comic dialogue and Chinese music performed with traditional Chinese instruments”.

The event will also raffle off a $300 airline voucher, two $100 gift cards and six $50 gift cards to lucky winners.

“Parents and elders give younger family members lucky money that is put in a red pocket, so we are handing out ‘lucky money’ as well,” said Xilu Wang, senior in electrical and computer engineering and president of CSSA.

Wang said the celebrations gives Chinese students a chance to feel more comfortable at Iowa State.

“Red is a lucky color in China and we like to wear red clothes on New Year. We are far away from our home country, so this event will give us Chinese students a chance to have fun with each other and reduce homesickness,” Wang said. “As the president and a Chinese student, I really hope that people can join us. I am sure it will be a great time.”

Chinese Students and Scholars Association gets financial support from Wells Fargo Downton Branch, Joy Travel, Lithia Volkswagen of DSM and Causey Law P.L.L.C.

More information can be found at www.isucssa.org.