Gong Xi Fa Cai!: PCCians Celebrate Chinese New Year Online
by Aspen Zanchi Kang (9A) | February 15, 2021
by Aspen Zanchi Kang (9A) | February 15, 2021
To celebrate Chinese New Year which falls on February 12 this year, the Chinese Department, headed by the Chinese Supervisor Ms. Zeng Ying, prepared Chinese New Year online activities for the students on February 10.
Students were encouraged to wear red shirts or a Chinese costume to celebrate the New Year. Teachers prepared activities, which were done at home to enlighten the students to the annual traditions of Chinese New Year
In some of the classes, the teachers told the story of the animals in the Chinese Zodiac while others talked about the different food and preparations for Chinese New Year. A lot of the classes also engaged in activities that included paper cutting and origami lantern making. In the pilot classes, most were facilitated by the class officers. Among the activities were tongue twisters and other online games.
Chinese New Year follows the lunar calendar, which is based on the monthly cycle of the phases of the moon. The first new moon of the lunar year is the new year and the start of spring. Festivals usually hold fireworks displays and dragon dances. People wear red clothing, which is believed to symbolize new beginnings and fresh hopes.
Usually, the school’s corridors are filled with artworks the students have made and paper lanterns with the word “福” on them, which means fortune. The classroom doors would be decorated with paper-cut artworks and auspicious Chinese characters. There used to be a contest for the most attractive Chinese costumes and winners would get a red envelope each. However, because of the pandemic, these have not been done this year. Nevertheless, despite the limitations caused by online classes, PCC students still got to enjoy the New Year festivities from the comforts of their own homes.