The Lunar New Year is Sunday, January 22, 2023, and this year ushers in the Year of the Rabbit. To learn more about this cultural holiday, Mrs. Doolittle's Kindergarten class welcomed a special guest on January 17. Yu Lee, the mother of one of their classmates, Perle, came in to tell them about the history and traditions behind Lunar New Year.
She read them a book, written in Chinese, that told the story of how the animals were selected for the Chinese Zodiac. This zodiac is based on a 12-year cycle, with each year represented by an animal. The first animal of the Chinese Zodiac is the Rat, and it is followed by the Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.
Ms. Lee shared other traditions with the students, giving them all lucky red and gold banners, called duìlián in Mandarin. These displayed sayings of good wishes. She also gave them the red envelopes that are part of the tradition of Lunar New Year, as well as handmade bookmarks. She explained that red is a lucky color symbolizing good fortune and that parents would place money in the red envelopes and give them to their children as a way to protect them.
The cultural discussion even touched upon the evolution of money from coins to paper, and some of the foods that families would eat to celebrate the New Year, such as dumplings and noodles.
Many thanks to Ms. Lee for her time and the Lunar New Year gifts she shared with Mrs. Doolittle's class!