My first time celebrating Chinese New Year was in Malaysia in 2016 when I was doing my undergraduate studies. We had the whole week off from uni and it was a whirlwind of celebration of fireworks, lion dances, distribution of Ang Pao and food, SO MUCH FOOD. One of my favorite festivities was the tossing of Yee Sang, where you gather with your family and friends to toss a large plate full of raw fish, fruits and vegetables, to ensure a lucky, prosperous and healthy year for all.

Coming to the UK, I wasn’t really expecting much celebrations for CNY. But I was pleasantly surprised at the line-up of activities organized by the University and the Student’s Union. I thought it would be fun to share my experience with you and how it compares to celebrating CNY in Malaysia.

I attended Dumpling Making Party which was held at The Basement. Instructions for how to make dumplings were given by Young’s Kitchen. We were then provided dumpling wrappers and prepared filling and we assembled chicken dumplings and vegetable kimchi dumplings. It was my first-time making dumplings this style and I really enjoyed the experience.

We then made dumpling soup with rice noodles, mushrooms and assorted vegetables. Once prepared we all sat and enjoyed the soup as a group. I don’t know if it was because I played a part in making the soup, but it was honestly one of the best soups I’ve ever had. I made a mental note to order the dumpling soup next time I visit Young’s Kitchen. All the participants also got the chance to take their prepared dumplings home to either fry them up for a snack or make dumpling soup. Since I was leaving for a trip soon, I chose to freeze my prepped dumplings. But I’m really looking forward to coming back and making a refreshing dumpling soup!

Another event I attended was the Lunar New Year Meal, also held at Young’s Kitchen in The Basement. I was provided with a plate of piping hot delicious food for free! It was awesome to see everyone celebrating together.

There were also other events planned by the USSU which I did not have the fortune to attend as I was going out for town, such as movie nights and the Lunar New Year Market.

That’s all from me today, I hope everyone celebrating CNY at Surrey had a great time, I know I did!