More than 500 people brought in the Year of the Dog during the Chinese New Year celebration Saturday at Trinity Baptist Church in Norman.

The celebration, which included food, music and games, attracted people of all ages from Chinese and American cultures.

The event was sponsored by the Society of Chinese Students and Scholars (SCSS), Coca-Cola, UOSA and the Chinese Consulate.

Yong Ma, president of SCSS and electrical engineering graduate student, said he was pleased with attendance.

"There are many more people than last year," Ma said.

The evening began with a buffet-style dinner of 12 different Chinese dishes and socializing among the red paper lanterns strung from wall to wall.

Chinese New Year

o 2006 is the Year of the Dog.

o More than 200 Chinese students attend OU.

o More than 500 people attended the Chinese New Year Celebration.

o In China, the New Year is followed by a seven-day holiday.

Jing Wang, economics graduate student, said the red lanterns are a tradition the Chinese use in several holidays to express happiness.

Wang said she enjoyed celebrating the New Year in America, but some things were different than they were celebrated in China.

"Usually we had fireworks. The whole family would have dinner and then go outside to do fireworks," she said.

Wang said one tradition that would be nice to bring to America is not working for the seven days following the Chinese New Year.

"In China, we have a seven-day holiday, but here we have to study," she said.

The Chinese New Year revolves around the Chinese calendar.

This year is considered to be the year 4703, the Year of the Dog.

There are 12 different cycles on the Chinese calendar, meaning the next Year of the Dog will be in 2018.
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