This Lunar New Year we say goodbye to the year of the Tiger—and greet the energy of the Rabbit. The Rabbit brings some balance to the high energy of last year’s Tiger. The Rabbit, embodies yin energy, the passive principle of the universe, which manifests in relaxation, fluidity, quietness and contemplation. It is thought to be gentle, quiet, tame, tender and kind, yet it moves quickly and is very clever. As such, the overall energy of 2023 is likely to be gentle and calm, with people looking for more balance in their lives.

Here at WSL, the students in grades 1–7 have been preparing for this holiday in Mandarin class with Ms. Dai (dài lǎo shī, 代老师).

The First Grade made paper fish. In Chinese, fish is 鱼 [ yú ], the pronunciation sounds the same as the words "abundant" or "surplus" (余 [yú]) in Chinese. So, the fish is used to symbolize wishes for abundance in the New Year. There is a blessing speech in Chinese, ‘年年有余 [nián nián yǒu yú]’, which says ‘May you have surpluses and bountiful harvests every year.’ (view photos)

Both the Second and Fourth Grades made lantern-themed crafts. The second grade created three-dimensional paper lanterns (view photos) and our fourth graders combined watercolor painting and crafts to create paper lantern artwork (view photos). Chinese lanterns are used in important festivals such as the New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival. During New Year, it is very common to see lanterns hung on trees in the streets, office buildings, and doors of houses. Hanging a red lantern in front of the door is believed to drive off bad luck.

The Third Grade made rabbit-shaped red envelopes. These red envelopes contain a gift of money inserted into an ornate red pocket of paper. The color red symbolizes energy, happiness, and good luck in Chinese culture. Traditional red envelopes are often decorated with beautiful Chinese calligraphy and symbols. Generally, on Lunar New Year’s Eve or New Year's Day, young children and grandchildren give their best wishes to their parents and grandparents. In return, grandparents and parents give their children and grandchildren red envelopes with money, wishing them good luck in the new year. (view photos)

In Fifth Grade, the students created paper dragons. In China, the dragon is regarded as a symbol of imperial power and authority. Chinese dragons symbolize wisdom, strength, and wealth, and they are believed to bring good luck. Dragon dances, along with lion dances, are an important part of the Lunar New Year celebrations and are often the highlight of New Year parades. They are believed to be a way to scare away evil spirits and bring good luck to people. (view photos)

Sixth Grade students made three-dimensional spring character (春 chūn) paper cuts. Chinese New Year is also called the Spring Festival (春节 chūn jié). It’s still very wintry, but the holiday marks the end of the coldest days. People welcome spring and what it brings along: planting and harvests, new beginnings, and fresh starts. Spring 春 is widely used on the Chinese New Year theme or Auspicious words on Festival Couplets. (view photos)

The Seventh Grade students made Hanfu (汉服) origami, literally 'Han clothes', is one of the traditional types of Chinese clothing. In recent years, when Chinese people talk about Hanfu, they usually mean a long flowing robe with loose sleeves and a belt at the waist. However, Hanfu is a diverse term including different styles of clothing from different dynasties. Generally, a Hanfu outfit includes a yi (/ee/) 衣 'upper garment') and a skirt-like shang (/shung/ 裳 'lower garment'). The upper garment has crossed lapels and the sleeves are long and wide. The skirt is long with a belt sash, often decorated with jade. It is considered a symbol of authentic Chinese culture, reflecting Confucian scholars' aspirations towards rituals, music, and moralistic ideals. (view photos)

Celebrating Lunar New Year