The Texas State Museum of Asian Cultures and Education celebrated its annual Lunar New Year event on Saturday, Jan. 25 at its location at 1809 N. Chaparral St., four days before the actual Lunar New Year on Wednesday, Jan. 29.

The Lunar New Year (or Chinese New Year for many people) is a celebration of the new year based on the lunar calendar that has been celebrated not just in China, but also in Vietnam, Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore. This year, the museum is celebrating the Year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac which it symbolizes wisdom, intuition, and transformation. The Lunar New Year was based on a legend that they would celebrate the new year to ward off evil spirits.

Throughout the event, there were many performances being held to celebrate the holiday. There were two lion dance performances by the Lion Dancing Club, where the children were encouraged to gather around and interact with the lion during its performance, followed by the taiko drum performance by the Corpus Christi Taiko Club and a martial arts demonstration.

Owing to the event’s theme, the South Texas Botanical Garden & Nature Center also had a booth where they can pet snakes. Throughout the event, Zero Untitled Films/Productions held multiple performances of kamishibai, a form of street theater and storytelling that originated in Japan.

Both the Lion Dancing Club and the Corpus Christi Taiko Club are currently looking for volunteers. The taiko drum practices are held on Saturdays at 4 p.m. in the museum by the Taiko Club, while lion dance classes will also be held on Saturdays at 5 p.m. starting on Feb. 1.