The Chinese Students Association at Cal State San Bernardino will host a Chinese New Year celebration on Friday, Feb. 15, at the Santos Manuel Student Union, featuring performances of traditional cultural music, song and dances along with food and drawings for prizes. The festivities, which celebrate the Year of the Pig, will be from 6-9 p.m. in the Santos Manuel Student Union Events Center. The 2019 Chinese New Year, which is one of the most important of all the traditional Chinese holidays, officially falls on Feb. 5. The traditional festivities last until Feb. 19. The campus community — administrators, faculty, staff, and students —  are invited to join in the celebration to join in the sharing of the joy of the New Year and Chinese culture. Tickets—$6 a piece—are available from the ASI Box Office (X75933). Fifty free tickets are available for students on a first-come, first-served basis. “Chinese New Year” or “the Spring Festival” is the most important traditional Chinese holidays. It is also known as the 'Lunar New Year' to English speakers. The origin of the Chinese New Year Festival can be traced back thousands of years. The centuries-old legend of the origins of the Chinese New Year celebration varies from teller to teller, but every telling includes a story of a terrible mythical monster preying on villagers. The lion-like monster’s name was Nian, which is also the Chinese word for “year.' The stories include a wise old man who counsels the villagers to ward off the evil Nian by making loud noises with drums and firecrackers and by hanging red paper cutouts and scrolls on their doors, because Nian is scared of the color red. The villagers took the old man’s advice and Nian was conquered. On the anniversary of the date, the Chinese recognize the “passing of the Nian,” known in Chinese as guo nian, which is synonymous with celebrating the New Year. The Chinese Students Association celebration’s co-sponsors include Associated Students Inc., the Center of International Studies & Programs, the Cross-Cultural Center and the University Diversity Committee.