Chinese New Year
Lanterns
Institute for Asia and Asian Diasporas
Sponsored by
the Confucius Institute
of Chinese Opera
~ ARTS OF ASIA IN THE CLASSROOM ~
for all grade levels
There are seven continents
in the world
CAN YOU NAME ALL SEVEN?
They are:
Europe
North America
Asia
Africa
South America
Antarctica
Australia
China is a country on the continent of Asia
China
How many countries do you think are in Asia?
There are 48 countries in the continent of Asia:
1. Russia
2. Mongolia
3. China
4. India
5. Sri Lanka
6. Maldives
7. Nepal
8. Bhutan
9. Bangladesh
10. Myanmar
11. Thailand
12. Laos
13. Vietnam
14. Cambodia
15. Indonesia
16. Malaysia
17. Timor Leste
18. Brunei
19. Singapore
20. Taiwan
21. Philippines
22. Japan
23. North Korea
24. South Korea
25. Pakistan
26. Afghanistan
27. Tajikistan
28. Kyrgyzstan
29. Kazakhstan
30. Uzbekistan
31. Turkmenistan
32. Georgia
33. Armenia
34. Azerbaijan
35. Iran
36. Iraq
37. Syria
38. Lebanon
39. Jordan
40. Israel
41. Saudi Arabia
42. Yemen
43. Oman
44. UAE
45. Qatar
46. Bahrain
47. Kuwait
48. Turkey
Let’s compare the size of the United States to China
The Continental United States is outlined in R E D
Continental
United States
Does not include
2 States
Can you name them?
Faces of the Chinese People…
New Year celebrations are held all around the world.
The Chinese New Year,
also known as
The Lunar New Year
or
The Spring Festival,
is the most important
of all Chinese holidays.
Lotus flower
This traditional festival has been celebrated
for more than four thousand years
The holiday falls in late January or early February .
Every year in the
Chinese calendar is represented
by an animal symbol
There are 12 animal
symbols.
These symbols
repeat every
12 years.
Do you know what animal symbol is represented this year?
CHINESE HOROSCOPE ANIMALS
The origins of the Chinese Zodiac go back a few thousand years.
According to the myths, a long time ago, the gods decided to assemble
all the animals on earth. But only twelve came.
These animals would become the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac.
What determined the order
of the zodiac animals?
The story of the Chinese zodiac
reveals that the twelve animals
quarreled about who would head the
cycle of calendar. The gods were
asked to decide and they held a
contest:
Whoever reached the opposite bank
of the river would be the first zodiac
animal. The rest of the animals would
receive their years according to their
finish in the race.
All twelve animals gathered at the river bank and jumped in. Unknown to the ox, the rat
had jumped upon his back. As the ox was about to jump ashore, the rat jumped off the
ox’s back, and won the race.
The pig, who was very lazy, ended up last. That is why the rat is the first year of the
animal cycle, the ox second, and the pig last.
It is believed that in whatever year a child is born, he or she will have the
personality traits of the animal of that year.
What zodiac sign were you born under?
Rat
Ox
Tiger
Rabbit
Dragon
Snake
Horse
Ram/Goat
Monkey
Rooster
Dog
Pig
Your teacher
has a list of
the personality
traits of your
zodiac animal.
HOW DO THE CHINESE PEOPLE
CELEBRATE CHINESE NEW
YEAR?
Children and a Festival Lion Head
 CLEANING THE HOME FOR THE NEW YEAR
This tradition is founded in the
belief that cleaning the house
at this time of year will
"sweep away the bad luck”
that has accumulated inside
over the past year. Cleaning
also makes the house ready
for the good luck to start
entering again.
•Put away dustpans and brooms so that the good luck won't be swept away after cleaning.
•Keeping fresh and hygienic is also an important part of celebrating; even a new haircut will do.
•Over the following 13 to 15 days, you're relieved of cleaning duties.
DECORATING THE HOME
•The color that is most recommended is red.
Red is the color of good luck in Chinese culture.
•The number "8" also symbolizes good luck and
wealth, as in Chinese the word for eight rhymes
with fortune or wealth.
•Place flowers through the house, such as
lotuses. Lotus flowers symbolize rebirth and new
growth.
•Place mandarin oranges in bowls throughout the
house. Mandarins with their leaves still intact are
the fruits of happiness for the New Year. Keep
their numbers even though, as uneven numbers
bring unhappiness. When offering mandarins to
others, always offer them in pairs.
OFFERING A SACRIFICE TO THE
KITCHEN GOD
•While this deity may have a funny
name, it is like all gods and should
be worshipped.
•This sacrifice could include foods
such as fruits, for example.
•Good behavior should be used so
that he will make a "good report
when he goes back to Heaven."
•Many families have a large poster
of the Kitchen God in their kitchen.
DRESSING FOR THE OCCASION
•If you have traditional Chinese clothing, this
is the perfect time to wear it.
•Wear the color red for all your clothing
during this time.
•Red clothes will ensure that you're fully
participating in the spirit of the celebrations
because red is associated with joy,
happiness, good luck, wealth and good
fortune,
•Gold is another suitable color; try
combining the two for a very elegant look.
•Avoid wearing black during the celebration
period. Black symbolizes bad luck and even
death. This is a time of good fortune and life!
HOMECOMING
The extended family comes home to celebrate together.
In China ~ planes, trains, buses, boats, donkeys, and any means of transportation you
can imagine, are jammed packed with people returning home to enjoy the celebrations
with their friends and family.
WHAT HOLIDAY IS CELEBRATED IN A SIMILAR WAY IN YOUR HOME?
MAKING BANNERS
AND DECORATIONS
Red banners with
New Year messages of
good luck decorate the
main entrance of houses.
Red is a very lucky color
and symbolizes vitality* of
life and happiness.
* ENERGY
PAYING RESPECT TO ANCESTORS
The New Year Celebrations can only begin after paying
respect to the ancestors.
On New Year's Eve, people will go to the temples and
pray for good fortune for the new year.
They bring offerings of food and incense* to please the
spirits of the deceased so that they might bring good luck.
*Incense is made from plants and oils which are combined together and
burned to produce smoke. The smoke is used in religious ceremonies.
MAKING VISITS WITH FRIENDS
FEASTING
Meat dumplings for GOOD LUCK
Tangerines for GOOD FORTUNE
Apples for PEACE
Sweet rice cakes for WEALTH
EVERY YEAR
Fish for PLENTY
Veggies with long noodles for LONG LIFE
Chicken for WEALTH
Mustard Greens for a GREEN YEAR FOR
FARMERS
Soup means everything BETTER THAN
LAST YEAR
Warning: Setting fires is considered bad luck,
so cook your food before the New Year.
Oranges for MONEY AND WEALTH
Shrimp for ABUNDANCE
GIVING OF RED ENVELOPES
Children quickly learn the significance
of the Chinese Red Envelope. On
New Year's Day, they are given red
envelopes with money inside!
You get red envelopes from grandma,
grandpa, uncles, aunts and mom and
dad of course. By the end of the
festivities, children can accumulate a
nice amount of money.
Usually, the red envelopes are filled
with money or treats. The red color is
meant to scare away any evil spirits.
These envelopes are usually given to
the unmarried from the married. And
for the sake of continued prosperity,
it's a good idea (or lesson) to
encourage children to save the
money that they're given in the
envelope.
SETTING OFF FIRECRACKERS
There are many opinions about the
importance of firecrackers. One
popular belief; the noise will wake
up the dragon that will fly across
the sky to bring the spring rain for
the crops.
Being a country where the majority
of the people depend on
agriculture, rain showers are of
great importance in China.
Another belief is that the exploding
noise of the firecrackers will scare
away all evil spirits, and prevent
them from coming into
The new year.
The 15th day of the Chinese New Year
THE LANTERN FESTIVAL
The Lantern Festival is a holiday that is often compared to Halloween.
Just as children go trick-or-treating at night for Halloween, during the Lantern
Festival, children will go out at night carrying bright lanterns.
The Festival celebrates the end of all New Year celebrations.
Lanterns are hung in the city squares, in homes and in temples.
Many people have a worship ceremony at home and some go to their temples to
pray for luck.
DECORATING WITH PAPER LANTERNS
Paper lanterns are not only beautiful and
unique with eye-catching decorations; they
also have a deep history that reaches all the
way back to Ancient China.
During that long-ago era, most people hung a
large, round, colored Chinese paper lantern
outside of their homes to ward away evil
spirits.
Today, paper lanterns are a symbol of the
beauty, artistry, history, and tradition of
China. Lanterns come in many shapes and
sizes.
Lobby of Beijing Hotel, China
CELEBRATING
DRAGON PARADE
Dragons vary in length, some
are over 300 feet long! It is
believed that the longer the
Dragon is, the more luck it will
bring!
The Dragon Parade
is a highlight of the festivities.
The Dragon represents wisdom, power,
and wealth and is a very important
aspect of Chinese culture. It is also said
that the Dragon Dance, performed on
New Year's Day, scares away the evil
spirits and bad luck... During the Dance,
a dozen or so performers hold the
dragon up on poles. They raise and
lower the Dragon making him "dance"
as they wind through the masses to the
sounds of horns, drums and gongs.
Every Chinese New Year Parade ends
with a Dragon Dance. The parade
starts on New Year's Day and continues
for the next fifteen days until the end of
the festivities with the
Lantern Festival
Lion Dance
The Chinese Dragon Parade is customarily
performed along with Lion Dancers.
The performers mimic a lion's movements in a
lion costume.
The lion dance is often mistakenly referred to
as the Dragon Dance.
An easy way to tell the difference is that a
Lion is operated by two people, while a
dragon needs many people.
Also, in a Lion dance, the performers' faces
are covered, since they are inside the Lion.
In a Dragon Dance, the performers can be
seen since the Dragon is held upon poles.
The Lion Dance ends with a scroll and
message of good luck that unfolds from the
Lion's mouth and a burst of firecrackers to
scare away the evil beings!
The Lion Dancers
Two Kung Fu martial artists form the Lion. The
dance is based on traditional Kung Fu footwork,
kicks, and stances so both participants must
have a solid background in Kung Fu.
The head of the Lion is the most honored
position and requires strength, stamina, and
versatility. This dancer must carry and balance
the Lion's head and control the Lion's facial
expressions (eyes, ears, mouth) with his upper
body, while performing the cat-like movements
(stances, footwork) with his lower body. It is this
dancer that gives the Lion its personality and
attitude.
The second dancer follows the lead dancer and
maintains a bent over position forming the body
and tail of the Lion.
Today, Spring Festival,
also known as
Chinese New Year,
celebrates
the earth coming back
to life and
the beginning of the
growing cycle.
The Lantern Festival
marks the end of the
long Winter season and
the beginning of Spring.
Symbols or characters represent words in the Chinese language.
Chinese Calligraphy
Home
Love
Lucky
Peaceful
This word “CHUN” means
“Spring”
There are 80,000 Chinese characters or
symbols. Most are not used. For basic
reading and writing of Chinese, one only
needs a few thousand. Generally two or more
characters are needed to make up an English
word.
We will learn to make a
Spring Lantern *
with Chinese paper folding
and cutting techniques.
“CHUN”
is the word for Spring
The finished shape looks like the character
“CHUN”
* The figure will hang or sit on a tabletop
The CHUN character for Spring,
made into a paper lantern
Gung Hay Fat Choi
Happy New Year
Institute for Asia and Asian Diasporas
Maxine Rosenberg
Sponsored by
the Confucius Institute
for Chinese Opera
~ Outreach Art Teacher
ARTS OF ASIA IN THE CLASSROOM
for all grade levels