BIDMC Ushers in Year of the Pig at Annual Lunar New Year Celebration

BOSTON – At its annual Lunar New Year celebration, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) helped usher in the Year of the Pig with many lively performances, including by Qingen Ke, MD, a research fellow in Cardiology at BIDMC, on the jing hu – a Chinese bowed string instrument – and a traditional Jiu Er dance by Jade River Group, featuring Jianghe Niu, a clinical research analyst at BIDMC.

“Through this event, we get to experience what influences a culture; things like art, music, dance, food and more,” said Peter Healy, President of BIDMC. “It’s a wonderful way to expand our understanding of the world around us, and something that is particularly important to me.”

According to the Asian legend, Lunar New Year began with a fight against Nian, a mythical beast. To prevent Nian’s attacks, villagers left food outside their doors and hung red lanterns to frighten him away. Today, the holiday is celebrated by visiting with friends and family, exchanging gifts in red envelopes, dressing in red clothing and displays of fireworks.

“This Lunar New Year celebration offers all of us a wonderful opportunity for both reflection and renewal – to remember the year that has just passed, and to anticipate the year that is to come,” said Master of Ceremonies Julius Yang, MD, PhD, Hospitalist and Director of Clinical Operations in the Department of Medicine at BIDMC. 
   

In a keynote address, David Chang, a member of the Board of Directors of the Chinese Historical Society of New England, the Board of Trustees at Bunker Hill Community College and a former board member of the Asian American Civic Association, shared history of Boston’s China Town in an insightful talk entitled “The Resiliency of the Chinese in Boston.”

Other performances included Dehua Zhen on the suona, a Chinese double reeded horn, dances by the Traditional Chinese Dance Troupe at the American Chinese Art Society, and a lion dance by the Nüwa Athletic Club, a Boston-based organization for Asian American young women.

In keeping with the tradition of giving throughout the Lunar New Year, the BIDMC community is invited to donate infant supplies and toiletry items to benefit the emergency shelter at Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence (ATASK). BIDMC and South Cove Community Health Center often refer patients to ATASK, which primarily serves Asian families and individuals who suffer from or are at risk of domestic violence.