新年快乐 (Xīnnián kuàilè):
Happy New Year.
恭喜发财 (Gōngxǐ fācái):
Congratulations and be prosperous
We have been so fortunate to have some of our Tautoru whānau come and share their culture and traditions with us around Lunar New Year. We learnt about the history of migration from and to China. We also learnt about traditional customs and foods that are favourites for families around Lunar New Year. The fireworks were pretty exciting to watch. We were super lucky to see and experience a chinese ribbon dance and a dance using a special umbrella.
We also made lanterns out of red and yellow paper. The night before the Chinese New Year holiday starts, people decorate their homes with red lanterns made of paper. One of our students talked about how he makes lanterns as part of his celebrations.
Red is the colour of joy and good fortune in Chinese cultures, and it is most strongly associated with new year celebrations.
During the first days of Chinese Lunar New Year, younger family members may receive envelopes that are bright red. In these envelopes you usually find some money. These envelopes are traditionally given to children as a sign of energy and good luck for the year ahead.
Some of our children in Tautoru talked about these traditions with their peers. The red envelopes are traditionally decorated with gold letters and Chinese symbols of luck, like the dragon, the phoenix and the Chinese zodiac animal of that year. We know that the chinese zodiac for 2026 is the horse.
A big thank you to Deanna, Monica, Kurt, Yinjing and their families for coming to share with us today. We had heaps of fun and learnt a lot.
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