Completed Galloping into the New Year Errand

Galloping into the New Year

The International Magical Olympic Games (IMOG) has united 9 wizarding schools from across the globe on the campus of Koldovstoretz, the Russian wizarding school. As participating students gear up for the competitive sports events up ahead, a festival from across the border catches up – Lunar New Year (农历新年)! 2026 heralds the Year of the Horse, the 7th animal in the Chinese zodiac. Schools like Koldovstoretz and Hogwarts boast a thriving Chinese student population, and many are eager to share their beloved traditions with their peers.

So on the morning of 17th February 2026, nestled between the Residential Yurts and the Strugs, a Lunar New Year event kicked off in full swing. For the next 2 days, curious passers-by who step closer will be in for a festive treat!

Activities!

1. Snack Table
   
   No festive celebration would be complete without its snacks! Just ahead of the picnic mats and low wooden tables, students and staff in attendance are treated to a long rectangular table covered in New Year delicacies. From kueh kapit (love letter biscuits) to traditional sweets like sweetened lotus root, participants are spoiled for choice.
   
   • Box of Togetherness (全盒):

     Credit (?)	The Box of Togetherness is a round container divided into different compartments, usually 8 due to the number's auspicious meaning. Each compartment holds a different traditional snack, and each snack is symbolic of different blessings for the coming year, such as luck, wealth, health and happiness.
     Credits	Traditional snacks inside include candied lotus root (symbolising "a perfect match" and "abundance (money) every year"), candied lotus seeds (symbolising "continuous birth of children") and candied winter melon (symbolising "a good beginning and a good end”).

   • Examples of other common New Year treats:

     Credits	Kueh Kapit (Love Letter Biscuits) A thin, crispy egg wafer biscuit with Dutch origins. It's said to have been introduced by Indonesian emigrants to Asia.
     Credits	Bak-gwa (肉干) A dried savoury sweetmeat popular in Southeast Asian Chinese communities. This snack station provides the original pork version and a halal chicken version! (Separate tongs and containers used for the two versions to avoid cross-contamination.)

2. Rest Area
   
   
   
   Credits
   
   For those who wish to enjoy their snacks and enjoy the weather, they can choose to sit at the rest area! From rolls of picnic mats of all sizes available for borrowing to low tables made for groups, anyone is welcome to relax and enjoy the atmosphere here alone or with friends.
   
   You might spot red decoration pinned on nearby trees with a certain iconic figure in Hogwarts history. Go closer and flip it around; you will see an explanation for the peculiar item:
   Reducio

   
   

   

   
   Malfoy is written as "马尔福" (Ma-er-fuu) in Mandarin, coincidentally meaning and sounding very similar to "马有福" (horse has luck) or "马年尔等有福" (You will be blessed in the Year of the Horse). Due to this, and the arrival of the Year of the Horse, some wizards and witches in China have decided to adorn their New Year decorations with the iconic visuals of Draco Malfoy, a notable Hogwarts alumnus.
   
   A true stroke of genius in comedic pun-making! OOC: To learn more, you can search for YT shorts explaining the Draco Malfoy CNY decorations!
   
3. Arts & Crafts Station
   
   Set up on the opposite end of the open space was another long table, this time made of smooth stone. Stacks upon stacks of blank, red square papers were piled on top of the table with several newspaper-covered mini-stations. Floating above the table are two red papers, each bearing a Chinese character:
   

   Left: Spring | Right: Happiness Credits

   The red papers, introduced by a multi-lingual accompanying text in the air, are a type of decoration called “chunlian” (春联) or spring couplets, which are traditional decorations bearing different auspicious words/phrases. This square version is usually hung tilted like a diamond shape on doors and entrances to welcome blessings such as happiness, safety, and prosperity for the members of a residence.

   Credits

   Everyone is welcome to try their hands at Chinese calligraphy at the mini stations! Each mini station had a small dish of black ink and a Chinese calligraphy brush.

   
   For participants not interested in calligraphy, there are also empty red packets for them to try their hand at other arts and crafts, including:
   

   Red packet mini lanterns:	Credits
   Red packet fishes:	Credits
   Red packet Chinese Zodiac lanterns: (This year is the Year of the Horse!)	Credits

   Provided tools: Red packets, coloured markers, scissors, tape, googly eyes, red + yellow string (feel free to improvise!)

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