Lower School Celebrates Chinese New Year

On the first day of the first lunar month of 2022, Lower School teachers and students celebrated and learned about the Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival or Lunar New Year. The sound of joyful music in classrooms introduced the origins and traditions of the Chinese New Year. This celebration is solemn and a symbol of unity, prosperity, and new hope for the future.

Roeper students viewed two documentaries on the Spring Festival and the Lantern Festival, which concludes the Spring Festival. Students learned about the origin and significance of the 12-animal zodiac signs and how to find their own zodiac signs. This is the year of the Tiger.

 

One week before the Spring Festival is the Little Year. At this time, people are busy with buying Chinese New Year goods, cleaning their houses, and putting up Chinese New Year paintings and decorations. The big celebration begins on New Year’s Eve with a variety of traditional festivals and activities. Some of our traditions include wearing red colored clothes, cooking special dishes, staying up all night, and setting off firecrackers. Other customs such as giving red envelopes with money and activities to ward off the dragon from the legend of Nian serve to drive away bad luck and welcome happiness and good fortune.

 

After this continuous celebration, the Lantern Festival comes on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month during the full moon. This is a time of reconciliation, peace, and forgiveness, and marks the last day of the Chinese New Year. In ancient times, the people asked God to bless the coming year with pleasant weather and good crops. Nowadays, we express high expectations for the new year and pray for good luck in life and peace in all things.

 

Paper cutting is the traditional folk art which symbolizes people’s good wishes and the art adorns the festival with prosperity and joy. Stage I–IV students participated in Tiger face paper cutting, showing a warm celebration of the Chinese New Year with their own designs. 

 

Jesie Qi

Stage II Teacher