This year Chinese New Year was on Sunday 22nd January 2023. This year is the ‘Year of the Rabbit’.This week marked the beginning of our themed week for Chinese New Year and it is our fourth religious and cultural celebration of the academic year.
Chinese New Year, also called Lunar New Year, is an annual 15-day festival in China and Chinese communities around the world that begins with the New Moon that occurs sometime between January 21st and February 20th. Festivities last until the following full Moon.
Celebrations to usher out the old year and bring forth the luck and prosperity of the new one often include firecrackers, fireworks, red clothes and decorations and young people are given money in red envelopes. In addition, Chinese New Year is a time to feast and visit friends and family. Many traditions of the season honour relatives who had died.
Since the Dragon is a Chinese symbol of good fortune, a Dragon dance highlights festival celebrations in many areas. This procession involves a long, colourful dragon being carried through the streets by numerous dancers.
This week pupils have been learning about this important celebration with their Form classes. Some classes have been using online resources to find out their Chinese Zodiac Symbol, others have been watching videos to complement their learning and Year 7 have made colourful Dragon Fortunes to display in their rooms.
Our dedicated and hard-working Catering Team decorated the Dining Hall to represent the spirit of the New Lunar Calendar and delighted all the pupils and staff with an array of authentic Chinese food. This included Special Fried Rice, Prawn Crackers, Sweet & Sour Chicken and Black Bean Vegetables’. Each member of the school community was given a Fortune Cookie to read. A Year 11 pupil was thrilled with his one which read ‘You are heading in the right direction!’.