There is a large community of foreign exchange students here at Pierce, and they held the Lunar New year celebration on February 18th.  There were booths explaining many different cultures, their customs with the new year and their other cultural customs.

Treats from several different countries were there, and the most common ingredients was chocolate, an international favorite.

One of the most popular booth attractions was the henna. Henna is composed of crushed leaves of the Hina tree and mixed with a mild acid like lemon or orange and creates the product used in henna or mehndi.

The process could take up to an hour. When the design is draw on the skin, the substance eventually hardens and you’re to wear this until it falls off and then you clean the leftover bits off.

What is left will stain on your skin much like a tattoo without the needle. In traditional weddings both spouses write their names on the others arm and then design henna all over the arm.

The celebration had great attendance. The enthusiasm and energy from those involved and those attending really helped make this event successful for building a community that has knowledge of other places and their cultures. The Lunar New Year celebration was a great opportunity to learn about and celebrate other cultures.