"Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air..." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Pages

Monday, 26 January 2009

Kung hay fat choi!

Today is the first official day of the Chinese New Year - 2009 is the Year of the Ox (my year!).  This is an international festival we respect and enjoy each year.  Last night, we enjoyed a Chinese cuisine feast and I made red New Year envelopes, added a shiny coin in each, and placed them under each child's pillow.  We are enjoying various craft activities and telling the Chinese New Year story about the twelve animals.  On the weekend, we look forward to going along to the Chinese parades in London which will have a dragon procession and the lion dance.  In a fortnight, we will make Chinese lanterns which symbolise renewal and the return of light.   The children love international festivals for the opportunity it provides to learn a bit of another language, a bit about another culture - country, cuisine, tradition, etc.

Shaggy woolly Ox.

Feathery Chinese dragon.

4 comments:

  1. What a nice way to celebrate, we love all of the international celebrations and festivals, too.

    Tonight we are getting together with 2 other families for our own celebration. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Tammy. Hope you enjoyed your celebration with your friends. How wonderful to enjoy festivals together!
    Best wishes
    Kelly

    ReplyDelete
  3. Kung hay fat choi to you and your family too!
    I love visiting your blog and have left you a tree of happinness award over at my blog to say thank you for sharing your stories.

    http://bohemianmumma.wordpress.com/2009/01/29/a-forest-of-happiness/

    ReplyDelete
  4. This all sounds so festive and enjoyable!

    ReplyDelete