The Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) invites the campus and community to attend its annual Spring Festival, also called the Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year, on Saturday, Jan. 24.

To usher in 2009, the Year of the Ox, CSSA has planned a cultural show and dinner featuring authentic Chinese cuisine. Event tickets may not be purchased separately; attendees must have tickets for both events. The cultural show begins at 5 p.m. in Leach Theatre of Castleman Hall. The show tickets are free, but seating is limited. The dinner begins at 7 p.m. at the Havener Center. Dinner tickets are $6 each.

Tickets for both events will be available beginning Tuesday, Jan. 20, outside the Havener Center and the Curtis Laws Wilson Library.

“The Spring Festival is the most important festival for Chinese people,” says Tian Fu, CSSA president. “We want to share our culture with the campus and the Rolla community.”

The Spring Festival begins on the first day of the first lunar month, which this year is Jan. 27, and continues for 15 days. It is a time for celebration and the gathering of family, particularly on New Year’s Eve, when families share a large, elaborate meal, Fu says. Another custom is for families to view CCTV’s New Year’s Gala, a variety show featuring skits, comedy, songs and dances.

The cultural show and dinner will echo these traditions, bringing a feeling of home to the university’s Chinese students and faculty.

Fu says 10 programs will be presented during the cultural show, including a lion dance, drama, fashion show, traditional Chinese songs, instrumental music and more. New this year will be an authentic Chinese comedy-drama.

Following the cultural show will be a dinner featuring authentic Chinese cuisine, which Fu says is far different from American-style Chinese food. Dishes made with pork, beef, vegetables and chicken will be prepared using authentic ingredients not found in many American supermarkets.