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McLean’s dimly lit cafeteria burst into color Friday as students gathered for a Lunar New Year celebration filled with cultural decorations, food and games.

The event was the result of months of work by the Chinese, Asian American, Vietnamese and Korean clubs. Together, student leaders created a celebration that highlighted Lunar New Year traditions while welcoming classmates unfamiliar with the holiday.

Lunar New Year is an ancient Chinese tradition observed over 15 days. Its first day falls on Feb. 17 this year.

“Behind the scenes or the actual event, months of planning had gone into creating this event,” Korean club co-president Daniel Kim said. “We collaborated to figure out tasks, and most importantly determined which date most people were available.”

Club leaders divided responsibilities that included reserving the cafeteria, coordinating snacks and arranging games.

“We wanted this to be more than just a celebration, but about bringing everybody together,” Asian American club president Angelina Yang said.

That preparation was evident as students circulated through the cafeteria, sampling food and taking part in activities such as picking up Skittles with chopsticks and gambling with shrimp chips.

“The event took months of planning and preparation, and that showed,” junior Adrian Wiklund said.

Junior Henry Crumpler said the variety of activities helped make unfamiliar traditions approachable.

“It was honestly really fun to experience so many cultures, and because there was so much to do,” Crumpler said. “I didn’t really know much about Lunar New Year or its traditions, but the games and food made it easy to get involved.”

The interactive format encouraged attendees to try new foods, learn about different traditions and participate rather than simply observe.

“As a sponsor of the club, it was really great to see everyone come together, collaborate and make such an amazing event happen, where everybody felt included,” Latin teacher Ava Minutello said.