January 22,2004
HISTORY
According to one legend, thousands of years ago an evil monster named Nian ravaged a
village in China. The following
year Nian returned and again ravaged the village. Before it could happen a third
time, the villagers devised a plan to scare the monster away. Banners,
in the protective color red, were hung everywhere. Firecrackers, drums and gongs
were used to create loud noises to scare the beast away. The plan worked and a
celebration followed during which people feasted, visited with each other,
exchanged gifts and danced. The
celebration lasted several days.
Thus began a celebration, known as the Chinese New Year, also recognized as the Spring Festival.
The Chinese New Year is based on
the lunar calendar, which dates back centuries before the calendar we use today.
The lunar cycle
is about 29½ days. In order to
"catch up" with the solar calendar the Chinese insert an extra month
once every few years, similar to adding an extra day on leap year. This
is why, according to the solar calendar, the Chinese New Year falls on a
different date each year, but always falls on the second New Moon after the
Winter Solstice.
TRADITIONS AN
Preparations tend to begin a month from the date of the Chinese New Year, when
people start buying presents, decorations, food, and clothing.
Chinese houses are cleaned from top to bottom, to sweep away any traces
of bad luck. Doors and windowpanes
are given a new coat of paint, usually red, and are then decorated with paper
banners and scrolls with themes such as happiness, wealth and longevity printed
on them. New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are celebrated as a
family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving. The celebration was
traditionally highlighted with a ritual offering given in honor of Heaven and
Earth, the gods of the household and the family ancestors. On
the eve of the New Year traditions and rituals are very carefully observed in
everything from food to clothing. Shooting off firecrackers on New Year's Eve is the Chinese
way of sending out the old year and welcoming in the New Year. On the stroke of
midnight every door in the house, and even windows, have to be open to allow the
old year to go out. An
ancient custom called Hong Bao, meaning Red Packet, takes place each New
Year’s Day. Married couples give
children and unmarried adults money in red envelopes. Traditional
foods are prepared for family and friends, as well as those who have died.
The dragon is another popular symbol for the Chinese New Year,
representing strength, goodness, good luck, and supernatural forces.
The
Festival of Lanterns, which is a celebration with singing, dancing, and lantern
shows marks the end of the New Year celebration.
ANIMAL ZODIAC SIGNS
Each year is also designated by one of 12
Animals. For instance,
2004 is the Year of the Monkey. The
Chinese believe that a person displays the
characteristics of the animal of the year in which they were born saying:
If you are born in the Year of the Monkey, you are
intelligent, well-liked, and will have success in any field you choose.
To find out which animal year you
were born in and to see the characteristics of each animal visit:
http://www.c-c-c.org/chineseculture/zodiac/zodiac.html
or http://www.welcome-to-china.com/ltr/horo/calc.htm
ONLINE LESSON PLANS ON THE CHINESE NEW
YEAR OR CHINA
Elementary School
http://www.museumca.org/global/education/fcguide/activity11.html
http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/Byrnes-celebrations/chinese.html
http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/storiesaroundtheworld/firstmoon/index.html
http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/Byrnes-celebrations/johnkjar.html
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=344
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=381
http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/chinapeopleandplaces/
http://www.newton.mec.edu/Angier/DimSum/Dim%20Sum%20Index.html
Middle School
http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/greatwall/
http://fga.freac.fsu.edu/misc/chinese.htm (requires specific reading
materials as indicated)
http://members.aol.com/bkdonnclass/Chinalife.html
High School and Higher Education
http://www.askasia.org/teachers/Instructional_Resources/Lesson_Plans/index.htm
http://www.globaled.org/curriculum/china/99_zucker.html
http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/China/ChinaQuest.html#Resources
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/teach/red/
HTTP://www.learnnc.com/learnnc/lessonp.nsf/docUNID/EDEE94A9D8B0132785256B5B0023EEEC?OpenDocument
HTTP://www.learnnc.com/learnnc/lessonp.nsf/docUNID/9FFC1138D5E8F2F085256B5B0023EFD9?OpenDocument
ACTIVITIES AND ADDITIONAL INTERNET
RESOURCES
http://www.kidsdomain.com/craft/_chin-ny.html
http://k-6educators.about.com/library/blchineseny.htm
http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/chineseny.html
http://www.newton.mec.edu/Angier/DimSum/DimSum%20T.ofCon.HomePg.html
http://www.theteacherscorner.net/seasonal/chinese/index.htm
http://webtech.kennesaw.edu/jcheek3/china.htm
http://www.zama.com/ontheroad/index.html
http://www.pem.org/yinyutang/
http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0301/feature1/index.html
http://webexhibits.org/calendars/calendar-chinese.html
BOOKS (Fiction
and Non-Fiction)
Lao Lao of Dragon Mountain by
Margaret Bateson-Hill
The Runaway Rice Cake by Ying Chang
Compestine and Tungwai Chau
Li Lun: Lad of Courage by Carolyn
Freffinger
Celebrating Chinese New Year by Diane
Hoyt-Goldsmith and Lawrence Migdale
Happy New Year! Kung-hsi fa-ts’ai!
by Hitz Demi
Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution
by Ji-li Jiang
China: The Culture, China the Land
and China: The People by Bobbie Kalman
Nim and the War Effort by Milly Lee
Beautiful Warrior: The Legend of the Nun’s Kung Fu by Emily McCully
The Cloudmakers by James Rumford
Lichee Tree by Ching Yeung Russell
Fa Mulan: The Story of a Woman Warrior
by Robert SanSouci
The Dancing Dragon by Marcia K.
Vaughn, et al.
The Abacus Contest: Stories from Taiwan & China
by Priscilla Wu
The Dragon Prince: A Chinese Beauty and the Beast Tale
by Laurence Yep
Cat and Rat: The Legend of the Chinese Zodiak by Ed Young
JUST FOR FUN
http://www.new-year.co.uk/chinese/ (Click on Virtual Fortune Cookie)
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/chinesenewyear/tangram/
http://www.chinatown-online.co.uk/pages/new_year/food.html
http://www.kidspartyfun.com/pages/themes/chinesenewyear.html
Gong Xi Fa Cai! (goong she fa tsai)
Happy Chinese New Year!