Happy Lunar New Year!
Instead of the “classic” New Year, we’re celebrating something a bit more diverse…
PICTURES
Choir (More Pictures to Come)
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THE LEGEND OF NIAN
The Lunar New Year is celebrated in lots of parts of the world. A few places are China, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Singapore. Even if it’s the same holiday, it is celebrated very differently in different parts of the world. But I’m going to tell you about Chinese Lunar New Year. There are 12 zodiac signs, the Tiger, Dragon, Pig, Mouse, Ox, Dog, Rabbit, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, and Rooster. This year is the year of the dragon, hence the dragon on the cover of the pamphlets. But the story of Chinese New Year is developed by the Legend of Nian.
Thousands of years ago in Ancient China, there was a monster named Nian who lived in the bottom of the sea. Every Lunar New Year, he would come to the village to ransack it and attack civilians, so the villagers had to climb up the mountain every year. But one year, an old man told the village that Nian is scared of the color red, loud noises, and firecrackers. So the village came together and made red decorations like red banners, lanterns, and envelopes. They performed Lion Dances and just overall made a lot of noise. This made Nian scared and he retrieved back to the sea.
They started doing this every year as a huge celebration to keep Nian away. And now, the Lunar New Year is a time of celebration and family and gathering together for a big meal. Fish, dumplings, rice, sticky rice, sweets, vegetables, spring rolls, and a lot of other foods were eaten in big family celebrations during feasts and gatherings. But, celebrations like this are also just fun in general.
MULTIPLE LUNAR NEW YEARS
Although the Lunar New Year is a festival celebrated in different countries in different styles, we’re focusing on the Chinese Lunar New Year since most of our students are Chinese or have Chinese heritage. You don’t have to read this huge paragraph next to this little column of text, but if you’re interested on how Chinese Lunar New Year’s cultures began, then that is the story for you! But please keep in mind that there are different places and provinces in China that tell this story differently, even if it’s only the smallest of changes. This is the version that the I, Eileen (hi), has heard of. And now, I’m passing that information onto you. But in different countries, the zodiacs can be different. Like for example in Korea, the Goat zodiac is swapped for a Sheep, and in Thailand, the Dragon is swapped out for a Naga, a mythical half-snake, half-human creature. All I’m saying is that there isn’t just a Chinese Lunar New Year, but many other ways of celebrating it in different traditions as well.
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OUR AUDIENCE
The Legend of Nian and Gong Xi Gong Xi Song (click on it for video)