Lunar New Year Celebration at El Presidio de Santa Bárbara to Include Food, Art, and Mahjong

---

This article was underwritten in part by the Mickey Flacks Journalism Fund for Social Justice, a proud, innovative supporter of local news. To make a contribution go to sbcan.org/journalism_fund.

---

You might hear the clack of shuffling mahjong tiles if you walk East Canon Perdido Street this Saturday. At El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park, folks will gather for the Year of the Fire Horse Festival. The festival, put on by the Asian American and Pacific Islander Solidarity Network and the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation, welcomes all to a free celebration of the Lunar New Year. 

Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, is a 15-day festival celebrated around the world, holding special importance in many Asian countries and communities. 

“[It] is the time when people put away the past and look forward to the New Year,” said Karena Jew with the AAPI Solidarity Network. That means, she said, opening yourself up for luck. 

This year, Jew said, is the year of the Fire Horse — a powerful, fast-moving year.

You shouldn’t need luck to enjoy yourself at the festival this weekend. Jew said folks will have the chance to peruse work from AAPI artisans, eat tasty food, participate in arts and crafts, and watch both a tai chi performance from Shandy Mann, a tai chi instructor at Allen Hancock College, and a lion dance performance performed by the Camarillo Kung Fu and Lion Dance Association. 

If you head into the Presidio Chapel, you’ll find a space set up for mahjong (free snacks and all). Mahjong is a tile-based game with its origins in 19th-century China. More than 100 years ago, mahjong made its way to the United States and rapidly grew in popularity. In 1924, the Santa Maria Times announced that, due to the game’s popularity in the area, it would run the rules for people to learn. 

Jew said she’s seen a rise in popularity in recent years, too, with intergenerational groups playing together. 

This year, members of UC Santa Barbara’s Asian Board Games Association will offer lessons.

Jenn Lam is a boardmember of the association. She said the Lunar New Year celebration is the perfect opportunity to share mahjong with people who know the game and teach it to new people. 

“I’m looking forward to this event being an opportunity for all community members to come together and have fun through the shared excitement for mahjong,” she said. 

Lam said as far back as she can remember, her aunties played mahjong. 

“The sounds of the tiles clicking together as they shuffle them, and the excited shouts of ‘pong!’ [what you say when you have three matching tiles] were very familiar to me, but I never understood how the game actually worked,” she said. 

Then, Lam said, she studied abroad in Beijing. A local friend taught her and other international students how to play the Sichuan style of the game. After returning to the United States, she learned other styles of play. Last fall, she joined the association at UCSB.

There are many variations or “styles” of mahjong, but don’t let that scare you off. 

“At this upcoming event, there will be teachers who will walk you through all you need to know to learn the basics of Cantonese style mahjong,” Lam said. Cantonese style, she said, is easy to pick up.

Austin Wong, a co-founder and current president of UCSB’s Asian Board Game Association, said he is excited to help teach others to play. He said the association has a history of teaching new members, and now it gets the chance to give back to the community. 

Wong, who was born and raised in Hong Kong, said he learned the game from his grandmother. When he started at UCSB, Wong said, he attended a club where folks, for the day, were playing mahjong. He said he joined a table with some players who were especially honed in on the game. They got to talking and decided to start a club where folks could play together. 

Mahjong, Wong said, is a pretty good reflection of life. 

“The whole point of the game is about calculating risk,” he said. But, he said, there’s not necessarily one “correct” choice in the game — there are many paths and opportunities. 

Association intern Jason Wen is a first year at UCSB. He said he learned to play mahjong from his family just before leaving for college. He decided to join the association once he arrived, he said, and fell in love with playing with friends. 

His personal advice for beginner players? Focus on enjoying the experience of playing — chatting with others as you play and sharing in the cultural experience. 

“That’s what really got me into mahjong,” he said. 

Folks interested in the history of Mahjong can also peruse a small exhibit at the Presidio — a chance to learn to the sound of chatter, laughter, and tiles. 

The Year of the Fire Horse Festival is this Saturday, February 21, from 3-7 p.m. at El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park (123 E. Canon Perdido St.). For more information, see sbthp.org/firehorsefestival.