Chinese New Year
Celebrations
Chinese New Year
This year, Chinese New Year – The Year of the Rooster – begins on Saturday January 28 and lasts until February 15th, 2018.
The new year, also known as the Spring Festival, is marked by the lunisolar Chinese calendar, so the date changes from year to year.
Each Chinese New Year is characterised by one of 12 animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac. The Chinese zodiac is divided into 12 blocks (or houses) just like its western counterpart, but with the major difference being that each house has a time-length of one year instead of one month.
This year it’s the Year of the Rooster, the tenth animal in the cycle. The next Year of the Rooster will be in 2029.
Popular Chinese New Year Greetings
1. ‘New Year goodness!’
- In Mandarin: sshin-nyen haoww
- In Cantonese: sen-nin haow
2. ‘Happiness and prosperity!’
- In Mandarin: gong-sshee faa-tseye
- In Cantonese: gong-hey faa-chwhy
3. A steady rise to high places! — “on the up and up”
- In Mandarin: boo-boo gaoww-shnng
- In Cantonese: boh-boh goh-sshin
Lucky Signs for the Rooster
- Lucky numbers: 5, 7, 8
- Lucky colours: brown, gold, and yellow
- Lucky flowers: gladiola, cockscomb
- Lucky directions: south, southeast
Our children will celebrate Chinese New Year in a variety of ways such as food tasting and activities, whilst covering the different areas of learning within each room.