5 Ways To Celebrate Lunar New Year in The Classroom
The Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, is the most important festival in China. Today, it takes place on the first new moon between January 21st and February 20th. Lunar New Year celebrations have their roots in Ancient traditions. It is a time for people to feast, visit family, honor ancestors and clean the house to get rid of bad luck.
In 2025, the Year of the Snake will begin on January 29.
Here are a few ideas for celebrating Lunar New Year in the Classroom.
1. Make a papier-mâché Chinese lantern
Not only are these fun to make, but they add a splash of colour to the classroom.
Some New Year traditions have mythical origins. According to legend, a monster named Nian (which means year) used to attack a village and eat people at the beginning of the year. People would flee the village until they learned it could be frightened away by loud noises, bright lights and red lanterns. Today, Chinese New Year is celebrated with firecrackers, fireworks and red lanterns.
2. Use Chinese calligraphy to paint the symbol for “Snake” 蛇
Watch a video about Chinese calligraphy and practice writing the Chinese symbol for snake using black watercolour or watered down acrylic paint on rice paper or plain paper.
3. Give out Chinese zodiac health and wellness stickers
Over the last few years, for obvious reasons, there has been a focus on health and wellbeing in schools. Children have had to readjust to a return to school and to being around other children. For most, this has been a relatively easy transition but for a few, it has been tricky. One way of promoting positive behaviour in schools is to recognise them and reward the behaviours you want to promote.
Stickers can be used to reward students who are behaving in a positive manner. They could also be used to create a tally sheet where students can mark when they are ‘caught’ displaying these behaviours.
Why not give out zodiac stickers for the Year of the Snake?
4. Play hóngbāo puzzle hunt
Red envelopes, known as hóngbāo (红包), are a traditional part of Chinese New Year celebrations. They are usually filled with money and given as gifts, but here is an easy way to get the whole class involved: Make puzzle pieces by cutting up an image of a terracotta warrior. Put each piece in a red envelope. Hide the envelopes around the classroom, and the students can assemble the puzzle when they are all found.
5. Host a fruit exchange
Mandarin oranges are often exchanged during Lunar New Year as a symbol of fortune. Students can bring in fruit to exchange with other students, or you can have some orange slices ready for the class to snack on.
The Mandarin word for oranges, "jú," is believed to signify "good luck" or "fortune." Oranges that still have their leaves and stems attached represent longevity and fertility. You can also exchange tangerines (for luck) and red apples (for safety).
Pages: 16 (including 4 answer sheets)
Grade: 4-6
Resource Type: PDF Download