February 1st celebrates Lunar New Year, the first day of the first month of the Lunar/Chinese calendar. It is often referred to as the Spring Festival because it signals the beginning of spring.
Communities across the world celebrate with festivities that are meant to bring luck and prosperity into the new year. Traditional symbols include:
-oranges: associated with abundant happiness
-fish: a symbol of abundance and plenty
-the color red: stands for life and prosperity
-red envelopes: the money inside will bring joy and good luck
-firecrackers: scare away bad luck
-red Chinese lanterns: represent luck and prosperity
-lion: symbolizes good fortune and chases away bad luck
-dragon: a symbol of strength, power, protection, and kindness
Our school community here at Lawrence Primary celebrated Lunar New Year with art, books, activities, and oranges!!
Learn about this celebration at home as a family by clicking on a link below:
*On this first day of February 2022, we say hello to the Year of the Tiger! The Chinese zodiac is a system where animals and their characteristics represent each year. People born in the Year of the Tiger are said to be brave and speak out against injustices.
In celebration of Lunar New Year and the Year of the Tiger, Ms. Young worked with her students to create art projects in honor of the occasion. For the background of the project, students wrote adventures they would like to do/go on (ex: pet a shark, go to a corn maze, go camping, take guitar lessons). Next, students painted with watercolors over the writing and then boldly displayed the tiger they designed on top of their writing!*
*Students from Ms. Feigeles' first grade class celebrated the Lunar New Year with books and a special good luck snack---oranges!*
*Ms. Rincon's first grade class watched a Brain Pop video on Lunar New Year, also known as Spring Festival. Students learned how the dragon is a symbol of Lunar New Year!*
*Ms. Brescio's first grade students learned about Lunar New Year by making traditional symbols such as lanterns and red envelopes. Students also had oranges for good luck as we enter the Year of the Tiger!*
*The second graders in Ms. Risi's class learned about how according to the Chinese calendar, the year you are born in determines your personality. People born in the Year of the Tiger are said to be brave and intelligent! Learn about your Chinese Zodiac animal below!*
Which Chinese New Year Animal Are You Like?
*Mr. Flammia's second grade students and Ms. Pagnotta's third grade students celebrated Lunar New Year by making dragon masks! The dragon is an important symbol during the New Year that represents luck and a long life. Many Chinese New Year parades end with a dragon dance!*
*Ms. McCabe's third grade students learned about the Lantern Festival and different traditions for Chinese New Year. All of this knowledge was assembled into a Chinese New Year flipbook! Students also receive red scratch off fortunes to ring in the Year of the Tiger!
*Ms. Hernandez and her third grade students explored Lunar Year! They made red paper lanterns and wrote riddles to post on their lanterns!*