Celebrating Lunar New Year

Published in our March 2025 newsletter

Happy Year of the Snake! Lunar New Year (sometimes referred to as Chinese New Year) is one of the most important holidays for many Asian cultures. The holiday marks the first new moon after the winter solstice, which typically occurs in late January or early February, and is traditionally observed through a fifteen-day celebration that includes cleaning, decorating, music and dancing, symbolic dishes, and time spent with family and friends.

Students and faculty at Tacony Academy Charter High School spent the first Friday in February celebrating Lunar New Year. Teachers planned a variety of cultural activities in their classrooms and students selected the activities they wanted to take part in, rotating every 30 minutes. Nutrition Coordinator Kevin attended the Lunar New Year celebration to host a nutrition and cooking activity making Chinese-inspired eggroll salad.

Kevin provided students with an overview of the different regions in China and how the climate, agriculture, geography, and affluence affected the types of cooking and flavors found in each area. He gave examples of popular foods from each region, as well as asked students to share their favorite Chinese dishes, then related each to specific types of Chinese cuisine.

To transition to the cooking activity, Kevin introduced the recipe of the day, Chinese Eggroll Salad, and the MyPlate food groups it contained (vegetables, grains, and proteins). Students then cleaned their hands, grabbed gloves, and began to prep.

Kevin divided the simple recipe into lots of small tasks so that more students had the chance to help cook. Students took turns dicing onions and garlic, stirring together stir fry sauce, separating pre-cooked brown rice noodles, and sautéing chicken and vegetables while Kevin offered instructions and guidance as needed. Some of the students were newer to cooking, but others were able to handle more challenging cooking tasks and help their peers.

Before long, the classroom began to smell delicious, which helped attract more students (and even some faculty and staff!) throughout the afternoon. Students laughed and joked with each other, offering tips and pretending they were cooking influencers.

Once the dish was ready, students teamed up to plate the salad and distribute samples. The recipe was a hit! Many students mentioned that they enjoyed eating Chinese food and were surprised that they could enjoy a similar dish that was easy to make at home, lower in sodium, and that included lean protein, several types of vegetables, and whole grains. Most students in each session took a copy of the recipe to try at home in the future.

Tacony Academy High School’s Lunar New Year celebration is just one example of how EAT RIGHT PHILLY can integrate nutrition education and multicultural learning. If you are interested in similar programming, reach out to your nutrition coordinator!

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