Park Avenue first graders celebrate Lunar New Year
First grade students at Park Avenue Elementary School came together in the library on Tuesday morning to learn about the Lunar New Year on the eve of one of the world’s most celebrated holidays. Through lessons and activities, students learned about the significance of Lunar New Year, its traditions, and why it is so important across Asian culture.
“This year, we’ve been learning how our traditions and cultures are connected to family and your identity,” said first grade teacher Aimee Urvater. “So, we’re tying that lesson into different holidays, and with Lunar New Year being tomorrow, it’s the perfect opportunity to learn about another tradition.”
Students and teachers arrived at school wearing red to school in celebration of the holiday, and donned hats decorated with the incoming year’s Chinese zodiac symbol — it’s the year of the snake!
“We’re wearing red because it means good luck,” said student Lia Stroffolino. “I liked learning about the red envelope because it’s like a present that you get to give to someone.”
The students learned that families exchange red envelopes filled with money on Lunar New Year as a way of showing someone you care. The color red, seen on all types of Lunar New Year decorations, symbolizes luck, prosperity and health.
“And we have snakes on our hats because this is the year of the snake,” added student Ophelia Monahan.
The Lunar New Year eve lesson also included learning to write in Chinese characters and the always popular dragon parade. The students learned that dragons are thought to ward off evil spirits. Each student created their own dragon mask and paraded around the library.
The lesson/celebration also taught the students about Lunar New Year traditions such as enjoying lots of food, lighting firecrackers, and preparing your home for the coming year. The tradition holds that cleaning your house on the eve of Lunar New year invites fresh energy to enter and fill the family home. It was the family aspect of the holiday that really resonated the students.
“We learned that the Lunar New Year is all about spending time with family,” said first grader Tucker Van Horn.
As things wrapped up, students, faculty and staff wished one another, “gong hay fat choy!” The phrase is Cantonese for, “good luck and happy New Year!”