How our family celebrates: Chinese New Year
Kate
CBeebies Grown-ups
Hello, can you tell us a bit about what Chinese and Lunar New Year is, and when it falls this year?
Hello! My name is Cindy, and I am mum of three girls aged 5, 3 and 1. We’re Chinese, and Chinese New Year is the biggest festival in our culture.
It falls on a different date every year. This year we are going to be celebrating our Chinese New Year on Thursday 19th February.
Chinese New Year is all about family and friends. It’s the time to have the biggest family gathering of the year! Being with family and loved ones is the best way to spend time during Chinese New Year.
How did you celebrate Chinese New Year when you were a child?
I loved Chinese New Year when I was little – especially because it meant a holiday. There was no school, so you could stay up late and have lots of fun.
There were lots of decorations; flowers and plants around the house and little lanterns and "fei chuan" (which contain written greetings and good wishes) hanging everywhere.
There was also a candy box containing different sort of sweets (and how I loved pinching one or two!)
On New Year’s Day, we traditionally visit our family and friends and the grown-ups would give us children a "red envelope" with money inside as a little gift.
How are your family planning to celebrate this year?
Although I now live in England, I still celebrate our Chinese New Year with my three children.
I usually dress them in traditional Chinese costume for the festival, decorate our house and make some dumplings and cakes, which they really enjoy.
My favourite part of Chinese New Year is seeing lots of firework displays and sparklers! And we will have a banquet to celebrate the festival, with all our family and friends around the table.
This year I am going to take my children to Manchester Chinatown, where they have a massive celebration, so that they can see all the dragon dancers and fireworks and walk through the little stalls, which I am sure they will love.
I try to keep our Chinese traditions alive so that my children don't forget they are Chinese!
Want to celebrate the Chinese and Lunar New Year with your little ones? Here are some ideas from CBeebies:
Listen to Le Tian and his family's celebration on CBeebies Radio
