Did you stay up to ring in the New Year this year? I did! It was great to see people all over the world celebrating the New Year, starting in Sydney, Australia. When my children were little we liked to celebrate the Chinese New Year with my Chinese-American neighbors.
The Chinese calendar is based on the phases of the moon—that’s why it’s called a lunar calendar. That is also the reason why the date for Chinese New Year can be anytime from January to March each year. It lasts fifteen days! CLICK HERE to learn why the Chinese New Year is celebrated.
The best part of celebrating the Chinese New Year—the red envelopes! These are filled with money and given to the children. Red symbolizes good luck. It certainly is good luck to receive money! Other fun activities include making a very sweet New Year’s cake and a dragon puppet.
This year is the Year of the Dragon! Every year is named in honor of a particular animal. CLICK HERE to read the legend explaining how the animals were chosen.
Happy New Year! Want to say it in Mandarin Chinese? CLICK HERE for an audio clip.
How did you celebrate the New Year? Leave me a comment. I’d love to hear from you!
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