“Lotus roots for abundance year after year, and candies for sweet love.”

Molly Deugaw lifted a piece of fruit from the tray as she spoke, holding it up so the children gathered in front of her could see.

“Peanuts are for a long life.”

Hands hovered over the table. A parent leaned in. A little boy reached for a pink candy.

For Deugaw, this table is where it starts. Before the parade. Before the drums.

The Lunar New Year begins Tuesday, Feb. 17, but Flossmoor Public Library celebrated early Saturday, Feb. 14, hosting its fourth annual Lunar New Year celebration and filling its second floor with crafts, food traditions, family photos, a reading circle, an annual parade and, for the first time, a Korean drumming performance.

Across the room, a small girl pressed hard on a red marker as she filled in a horse’s mane. Her brother drifted toward the bracelet station and back again.

Their mom, Angie Coderre, watched Kate, 4, and Gabe, 2, for a moment.

“No, it’s not,” she said when asked if this was their first time. “Fourth year.”

Asked what brings them back, she didn’t hesitate: “The crafts, and the parade.”

Nearby, siblings Olivia Graham, 7, and Langston Graham, 13, compared their colored horse ornaments and pointed out their favorites.

“You’re gonna get to see the parade,” Langston told his sister.

Justin Smith leaned down beside his son Jason, 6, who studied a row of Year of the Horse stickers.

“I like all of them,” Jason said.

A few feet away, Rosalinda Ledesma stood with her children, Isabella, 12, and Diego, 9, taking it all in.

“I think it’s really eye-opening that we have a cultural hub right here in town,” Ledesma said. “I love bringing my kids so that they can learn more.”

Isabella glanced back toward the tables.

“The Year of the Horse symbolizes change and new blessings,” she said. “And strength.”

Along one side of the room, learning looked different at every table.

At a tote-bag station, Homewood-Flossmoor High School students Francesca Gomez and Akhere Elabor wrote “Happy Chinese New Year” and names in red marker.

“It symbolizes good luck,” Gomez said, nodding toward the red filling the room.

She shared the traditional story of a beast named Nian, afraid of loud noises, bright lights and the color red, which is why families wear red, hang lanterns and light firecrackers, turning an old fear into a celebration meant to bring good luck.

A few steps away, librarian Carly Halberg gathered children into a reading circle.

“I feel like every year we get a little bit of a new group, and then we get people that came last year,” Halberg said. “It’s always nice to see both new and old faces.”

For Deugaw, the goal is simple: make the holiday approachable.

“It’s the biggest holiday for the Asian population,” Deugaw said. “We intentionally brought this on to educate our Flossmoor community about the importance of Lunar New Year’s celebration and to make it fun for the kids, too.”

For her, the message always comes back to one thing.

“Just remember to tell them it’s all about family,” Deugaw said. “Being together with the family. And honoring their ancestors.”

Then the drum sounded.

It was the first time the event featured a Korean drumming performance.

Chansoo Lee stepped forward and began to play.

For about eight minutes, the room stayed with him.

At first, clapping came off-beat.

Lee tapped out cues with his drum and nodded toward the crowd.

Gradually, hands found the rhythm.

What began as a solo performance became a shared experience.

When the drumming stopped, noise makers were already in the air.

Kids began to gather along the wall, masks in hand.

The parade moved through the second floor.