Celebrating Chinese New Year

Celebrating Chinese New Year
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Nick’s New Year
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My friend Nick celebrates Chinese New Year.
He is Chinese-American.
Celebrating Chinese New Year
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Chinese New Year comes in January and February.
It lasts for 15 days.
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Before New Year’s Day, Nick helps his family
clean the house. This gets rid of all the
bad luck from last year.
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They put up red decorations.
Red is a lucky color.
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Nick’s family cooks a lot of food
for New Year’s Eve dinner.
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Nick’s family gives him and his sister red envelopes.
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The envelopes have money inside.
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Everyone gets a haircut and wears new clothes.
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Nick invited me to a parade
on the last day of the old year.
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There were dancers, firecrackers, and music.
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Dragon dancers danced down the street.
One person held the dragon’s head.
Many people held the long body.
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The dragon is a sign of good luck.
The dance celebrates the beginning of spring.
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The firecrackers come after the dragon dance.
Lanterns light up the night sky.
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Everyone says Gung hay fa t choy
to wish each other a happy new year!
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Celebrating Chinese New Year: Nick’s New Year
About Chinese New Year
China is one of many Asian nations to celebrate the new year with an elaborate festival. Vietnam, Korea, and Japan are some
of the other nations that have similar celebrations for this same occasion. In these cultures, the beginning of a new year is a
time to tidy the house, give gifts, buy new clothes, and hope for good luck in the upcoming year. The behaviors, ceremonies,
and images traditional on this occasion are symbolic of good luck and are observed in order to initiate a prosperous new year.
This holiday falls in late January or early February because the cultures that celebrate it use a lunar calendar, instead of the
traditional Western calendar.
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Good-Luck Envelopes
During Chinese New Year, children often receive gifts of money in red envelopes. Invite children to create their own envelopes
by having them fold red construction paper in half and staple the sides. Then, provide pictures or cutouts of the following
Chinese good-luck symbols: bamboo (strength and durability), dragons (strength and goodness), peaches (long life), cranes
(longevity), and fish (wealth and abundance). Invite children to decorate their envelopes with these cutouts. Display the
finished projects on a bulletin board titled Good Luck for the New Year.
Learn to Read Holiday Series
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