Chinese New Year: 2016              The Year of the Monkey     What did Room 22 learn about this important celebration? 

Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. After watching a video clip about Chinese New Year, Room 22 made their own Chinese New Year hats. “Xin Nian Kuai Le” was written on the hats. These words mean “Happy New Year”.

Watching the video the children learned that many years ago, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one. He announced that the people born in each animal's year would have some of that animal's personality traits. Those born in monkey years are often fun, energetic, curious, and mischievous.

The children also learned that at Chinese New Year celebrations people wear red clothes, decorate with poems on red paper, and give children "lucky money" in red envelopes. There are fireworks and family feasts.

Chinese people also enjoy a lantern festival. Some of the lanterns may be works of art, painted with birds, animals, flowers, zodiac signs, and scenes from legend and history. People hang glowing lanterns in temples, and carry lanterns to an evening parade under the light of the full moon.  In many areas the highlight of the lantern festival is the dragon dance.