Chinese New Year Celebration 2/7/08

Chinese New Year or Spring Festival or the Lunar New Year is the most
important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an important holiday
in most of East Asia. The festival traditionally begins on the first day
of the first lunar month (in the Chinese calendar) and ends on the 15th;
this day is called Lantern Festival. Chinese New Year is considered the
major holiday for the Chinese and its geographic neighbors
In school, we are fortunate enough to be studying Ancient China. Not only
is it important to study, it seems very appropriate to also celebrate
Chinese culture! And what better timing then to celebrate the Chinese New
Year!

We will devote most of Thursday, February 7th to celebrating and learning
more about the traditions of the Chinese New Year. The day will be full of
fun activities with our kindergarten buddies, classmates and little
surprises along the way. The following is a list of how students can be
prepared to celebrate this day:

1. Wear red clothing. Red is considered a bright, happy color, sure to
bring the wearer a sunny and bright future. It is believed that appearance
and attitude during the New Year’s sets the tone for the rest of the year.
2. Bring a gift for the gift exchange. It is traditional to exchange
gifts. Students will draw a name of another student and are asked to get a
gift for this person. The Limit for the gift is $1.00. Good gifts:
pencils, erasers, candy, etc.