JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Johnson City Public Library hosted the second annual Lunar New Year celebration on Wednesday.

Traditional clothing and a few rounds of Gonggi (Korean Jacks) helped ring in the Year of the Snake on Wednesday. The Tri-Cities Chinese Association, the Japanese Outreach Initiative and various Korean community members attended this year’s celebration.

“It’s the best way to connect people with each other is by learning about other cultures, learning about different activities, learning about different ways that people celebrate their holidays,” said Suzy Bomgardner, assistant director of Johnson City Public Library’s Children’s Services. “So, we’re hoping that this will be a unique way of doing that.”

Guests at the Lunar New Year event participated in storytelling, made origami and learned how to fold red envelopes. The celebration provided numerous learning opportunities, including how to write in Korean and Japanese, as well as beginner’s calligraphy.

“We love to focus on connections,” Bomgardner said. “That’s the biggest thing for us in the community. We like to connect people with materials. We love to connect people with programs that reflect our community. So this is a very unique and special evening that we hope that people will really enjoy.”

Bomgardner said the Johnson City Public Library is a positive place to hold the Lunar New Year festivities.

“Well, libraries are for everyone, and we want to make sure that we’re representing our community well and giving people a platform where they can explore cultural history, cultural festivities,” she said. “So, this is a unique way of doing that.”