Chinese New Year

• Decorate a fan (while supplies last)
• Tangram puzzles (making Zodiac Animals)
• Make a Paper Chinese Lantern
• Coloring sheets
• Origami dog
• Hidden Picture Puzzle
• Make Chinese Dragon Mask

You're welcome to complete any of these activities before school or during your lunch--or as a reward from a teacher during the school day!

In the United States, New Year's Day always falls on January 1st. In China, New Year's Day is the first day of the first month of the Lunar Calendar! Therefore, Chinese New Year dates vary each year and could fall at the end of January or in February. Chinese New Year 2016 will be on February 8, 2016. This is the most important holiday for the Chinese. They celebrate with:

• dragon dances
• lantern festivals
• feasts
• fireworks

In China, individual birth dates are not as important as the year in which a person is born. If you want to know a person's age, you don't ask how old they are, you ask for their Chinese Zodiac animal. To know which one is yours, enter your birth year into this website (or use the chart below), and you'll find the qualities of that animal to see how much of it agrees with you: http://www.topmarks.co.uk/ChineseNewYear/Zodiac

• Instead of Santa Claus or presents under the tree, you get a glossy red envelope with money inside!
• The color "red" represents good fortune -- the lucky color!
• Before the New Year comes, it is one of the Chinese New Year customs to clean the house from top to bottom to get rid off all the bad luck gathered in the previous year. This includes paying off all your debts, resolving all quarrels with friends, and catching up with homework!!!

Carmen Boheler, Media Specialist

Marie Millen, Media Assistant

Email: carmen.boheler@clover.k12.sc.us
Website: http://cloverjrhighmedia.blogspot.com
Phone: (803) 810-8393