Ni Hao: Year of the Snake Celebrated at Greenacres School

The Lunar New Year began on Sunday, 2/10/13. According to the Chinese zodiac, this is the Year of the Snake. In China, it is said that a Snake in the house is a good thing because it means your family will not starve. The Snake is a symbol of fortune, longevity and fertility.

At Greenacres School festivities began with a Chinese New Year lion parade on Friday, 2/8. Ms. Bautista's third grade class led the parade throughout all three floors of the school—armed with Chinese drums, gongs and cymbals (including two drums and two gongs recently purchased by the Multicultural Committee). The earliest Chinese gongs were used to call in peasant workers from the field; in fact, some large gongs can be heard for up to 50 miles! In China, drums were historically used in celebrations and in conflict. Booming drums were believed to help scare the enemy into submission. With 20 third graders banging on drums, gongs and cymbals, the Greenacres lion parade made such a loud noise and ruckus that any evil spirits lurking around the school would certainly have been scared away.

During the week of Lunar New Year, Greenacres parents made presentations in 12 classrooms. Topics included Chinese New Year customs, food, traditional costumes and instruments; animals of the zodiac and the lunar calendar; legend of the Chinese New Year monster; myths about lions and dragons; symbolism of the lion dance; how a lion's head is made; Chinese characters and calligraphy; Lunar New Year celebrations in many countries in Asia; lantern and Year-of-the-Snake crafts; Korean New Year customs, food and traditional costumes. The students tasted Korean rice cakes, Chinese dumplings, Mandarin oranges, Asian pears as well as barley and chrysanthemum tea. They learned a New Year song in Mandarin, and even stomped on bubble wrap to simulate firecrackers popping.

What a way to start the New Year!

This article was contribued by Karen Lee/ Photo credit: Joanne D'Agostino