Written by guest blogger, Sophia Phillips
Chinese New Year, also called Spring Festival, is the most important holiday in China. Each year, Chinese New Year's Day falls on a different date, because it follows the old Chinese Lunar Calendar. The celebration of the New Year usually lasts for 15 days.
The tradition of celebrating the Chinese New Year goes back thousands of years. The New Year’s tale has many versions, the most interesting of which to me is about the Nian (年) monster. Sit down with your little ones and watch this short video from Little Genius Workshop which tells the story of the Nian monster and offers an explanation for some of the traditions we partake in today.
People in different regions celebrate Chinese New Year in different ways. In general, as a tradition, people clean up and decorate the house in red for the festival. On New Year’s Eve, people set off fireworks and have the most delicious dinner with their family. After dinner, people will enjoy their time together and try to stay up until sunrise. On New Year's Day, we eat dumplings to celebrate. Elders give red envelopes with money inside to children for good luck, and to protect them from the Nian monster. This is also the time to visit extended family and friends and send each other New Years' greetings.
Written by Guest Blogger, Sophia Phillips. Sophia was born in Zhuozhou, Hebei, China, but spent most of her life in Zibo, Shandong, China. She first came to the US in 2010 for graduate school, and now resides with her husband in Los Angeles.
Chinese New Year Drum Craft
Per the legend of Nian, loud noises like firecrackers and drums are used to scare the monster away. Since I don't typically keep firecrackers on hand, my daughter, Everly, and I made a drum.
Estimated activity time: 25 minutes
Materials Needed:
Two paper plates
Long and thick plastic or paper straw
Tape
Yarn
Beads
Red paint
Step 1: Watch the YouTube video (linked above) with your child and discuss the holiday, Chinese New Year. Point out China on a nap or a globe to show your child where the holiday is celebrated.
Step 2: Begin constructing your drum by securely taping your straw to the concave side of one of your paper plates.
Step 3: Place the second plate on top of the other and tape or staple them together.
Step 4: Punch one hold in either side of the plates, string your yarn through the holes, attaching beads at the ends.
Step 4: Paint your drum red for maximum Nian intimidation!
As you are making the drum, discuss the following with your child:
It's important to learn about other cultures and their traditions to help us grow up and be welcoming of others.
Discuss some of the ways that Chinese New Year is celebrated (refer to the first section of the post for these details). Then, ask your child if they can think of any similarities with how we celebrate our holidays (this might be decorating our homes, getting together with family and friends, and/or eating big meals).
Do you remember why the drum was an important part of the story of Chinese New Year?
Keep the fun going:
1. Introduce your child to the Mandarin language and work together to practice saying some of the most common New Year greetings and wishes. Check out the video below:
2. Download our Chinese New Year free printable so your child can color Nian as well as a decorative scroll.
Share the fun you are having with us on Social Media! Tag us @curiouscouchpotatoes when you try any of our activities.
Jeanette's Educational Insights:
There is no better educational lesson than one that teaches the richness of diversity. Each culture loves its own celebrations and traditions and what could be more exciting to a child than to learn about the traditions and celebrations of others. Instead of something being strange or different, children love to embrace new and exciting experiences. I am always amazed at how a variety of traditions often have similar themes and practices.