Upon returning from the long weekend, the Taeguk Club, Peddie’s Korean Culture Club, hosted a Lunar New Year celebration on Sunday, February 5.

Lunar New Year is the New Year following the Korean lunisolar calendar. Traditionally seen as a way to pay respect to ancestors and elders, Lunar New Year is one of the most significant festivals and holidays for Koreans. Each year, Koreans gather with their families and enjoy a traditional feast and play games. 

The celebration was held in the Annenberg Science Center, and the space was completely transformed. Banners, balloons and fluorescent lights decked the halls while lively K-pop music played in the background. Parents brought homemade Korean food such as tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), mandu (dumplings) and Korean fried chicken. Stephanie Oh ’26 reminisced over the food she shared with her family, “Of course, it doesn’t taste exactly the same, but it feels the same. Eating this type of food makes me think of my mom. I didn’t realize how much I missed Korean food until I had it again.”

Following the meal was an exciting traditional Korean dance and drumming performance. Students were also welcome to play traditional Korean games such as Jegichagi and Gonggi and participate in workshops for Korean calligraphy to make bookmarks with their names written in Korean. 

Beyond playing games and sharing a meal, this event also served as an excellent opportunity for members of the Taeguk Club to share their culture with other Peddie students. Loukya Pakalapati ’26 expressed her excitement, “It was really cool to see how other cultures celebrate festivals, and this really made me appreciate how diverse the Peddie community is.” After a particularly intense game of Gonggi, Jun-ki Kim ’25 commented, “It’s fun to see my friends enjoy the same games that I used to always play as a kid.” 

This was the first time the Taeguk Club arranged an event on such a large scale, and Taeguk club leader Rachel Chung ’24 stated that “[she] thinks it was a great chance to celebrate the holiday together as well as introduce Korean culture to the Pedie community.” 

The night ended with the distribution of Korean snacks like ramen and turtle chips, with students trudging back to their dorms full of delicious food and laughter.