Chinese New Year does not have a fixed date in the solar calendar, it may take place from January 21st to February 20th, depending on the lunar cycle. This year, Chinese New Year 2021 fell on February 12th, but the full Spring Festival celebration last 16 days. It is celebrated all around the world by 20% of the total population and is the most important celebration for Chinese people, hence why it is also the longest Chinese holiday. The Chinese New Year causes a huge migration, mostly of people returning home to meet their families for the celebration. This year, it ends with the Lantern Festival on February 26th, 2021.
A new year also means a new dominant zodiac symbol. Unlike the zodiac that is commonly used in the Western world, which divides each year into 12 signs, the Chinese Zodiac, or Sheng Xiao, is based on the lunar calendar and the rotation of the signs occur every year. Consequently, with the celebration of Chinese New Year the sign also changes. This is why we welcome the year of the Ox.
As always, Valldaura joins in this and many other celebrations. Our event was centered around a wonderful dinner coordinated by our students Kevin Xi Lim and Niko Tian, who even took care of some of the preparations. Among the dishes that starred in the celebratory dinner were beef soup with mushrooms, steamed chicken with spicy sauce, tofu with preserved eggs, cauliflower casserole, meat with Mei-Cai, sweet and sour rib, Dong-Po meat, roast duck, sweet and sour fish, Chinese tender bamboo salad and more. Over dinner, the main topics of conversation revolved around the traditions of these dates in China.
Valldaura Labs has always been a place full of diverse cultures, thanks to the different countries from which its students and faculties hail. Here everyone is welcome, and this fact allows for exchanging and learning from diverse experiences, traditions and places from their own protagonists. For example, this year the 15 students of the Master in Advanced Ecological Buildings and Biocities represent 13 different nationalities. At the same time, presence here enables a constant process of professional growth through unique opportunities to meet people who have the same interests while working as a team for a year to, among other things, learning about ecological buildings and build a 1:1 prototype.
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