LUNAR NEW YEAR

SC Students Celebrate the Lunar New Year
The Year of the Bunny

Sea Cliff students under the leadership of Mandarin teacher, David Schultz, recently celebrated the Lunar New Year by singing, playing music, and joining in a parade to signify the beginning of this joyous occasion. 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit representing a year of hope. People born in this year are believed to be vigilant, witty, quick-minded, and ingenious.

It is believed that “a good start to the New Year will lead to a lucky year.” Often red envelopes are passed to children or relatives containing gifts and money. The Chinese New Year festival is many centuries old and is celebrated in many countries and territories around the world including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

In North Shore Elementary Schools, Mandarin begins early. Younger students begin singing in Mandarin and learning the characters. As they progress, they learn more about the language, China’s geography and history, and the symbolism of the Chinese New Year by researching many facts about China. 

During the Chinese festival, the students parade up and down the aisles of the school and go into classrooms dressed as a snake and play instruments welcoming in the Chinese New Year. As a bonus this year, Sea Cliff musicians along with their band teacher, Mr. Richard Blake, accompanied the parade by playing joyous music! Bravo to all!

Article and photos by Shelly Newman