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Panda Express: Chinese New Year "Learn with Me"

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When my daughter was in preschool, one of the highlights of the calendar was the Lunar New Year celebration. Some of the children would perform the Lion Dance, others demonstrated a Korean bowing ceremony, and everyone got a chance to eat noodles, dim sum, and other Chinese treats. This Lunar New Year, which includes Chinese New Year, begins on January 25th. To celebrate the Year of the Rat, here are eight books to share with your little ones. Gōngxǐ fācái ! (Health and prosperity!)

by Carolyn Otto

Celebrate Chinese New Year is the latest addition to National Geographic's popular Holidays Around the World series. With dozens of colorful images and clear, accessible text, this book is a lively introduction to Lunar New Year.
(Ages 6 - 9)

by Karen Chinn, illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu

When Sam's grandparents give him lucky money in red envelopes called leisees for Chinese New Year, he can't wait to spend it. Lush watercolor illustrations from Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu bring Sam's shopping trip to life in this moving story about a boy who learns a powerful lesson about giving.
(Ages 4 - 8)

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8 Picture Books to Celebrate Lunar New Year | Brightly

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When my daughter was in preschool, one of the highlights of the calendar was the Lunar New Year celebration. Some of the children would perform the Lion Dance, others demonstrated a Korean bowing ceremony, and everyone got a chance to eat noodles, dim sum, and other Chinese treats.

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Titles and crafts

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Chinese Lantern Festival

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Making your own Chinese Lantern out of paper is easy and they make great decorations for your home, classroom, patio, bedroom... You can hang them or place them on a table, individually or in groups. This one is the easiest to make and all of the materials you are likely to have at home, all you need is some paper, scissors and glue.

Bright red traditional Chinese lanterns are a staple of any Chinese celebration. You see them decorating temples and shrines, parks, stores, homes and offices, and of course, all over Chinatowns around the world.

Chinese lanterns come in all kinds of shapes, sizes and colors. You can try your favorite color paper, we stick with red and gold, the traditional lucky colors for the Chinese.

Let's get started!

Make a Chinese Lantern in Six Easy Steps

Materials needed:

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Step 4:

Step 5:

Step 6:

Once you have the basics, it's easy to try out some different variations, you can get really fancy here.

For example, you could add some gold trimings to the lantern bars.

Cut the trimmings slightly narrower, use regular or shape scissors if you have them. Just glue the trimmings before you glue the lantern to the gold tube:

We will try some different shapes and kinds, including the most common balloon red lantern, a square-shaped box lantern, and some delicate prism shaped ones which are great for hanging.

More Easy Chinese Crafts - Try these next!

Let's Celebrate!

You can decorate easily with traditional or battery-operated lanterns, paper cuttings, lucky coins and banners to add a splash to the celebrations!

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Making your own Chinese Lantern out of paper is easy and they make great decorations for your home, classroom, patio, bedroom... You can hang them or place them on a table, individually or in groups. This one is the easiest to make and all of the materials you are likely to have at home, all you need is some paper, scissors and glue.

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The Chinese Zodiac consists of twelve signs and is determined by the Chinese Lunar Calendar. It is based on the cycles of the moon, unlike our western or Gregorian calendar which is based on the solar cycle.

In Chinese astrology, there are 12 Chinese Zodiac signs. Because the moon's cycle repeats itself every 12 years, there are 12 animals in the Chinese Horoscope - one for each year of the lunar cycle. The 12 animals in the Western Zodiac in contrast, are assigned to each solar month.

The Legend of the Chinese Horoscope

The origins of the Chinese Zodiac go back a few thousand years. According to the myths, long time ago, Buddha decided to call all the animals on earth. But only twelve came:

In recompense, he assigned each of these animals a year on the cycle affirming that children born in that year would acquire the personality traits of the animal assigned to that year.

In order to decide their order in the Chinese Zodiac cycle, the animals held a very exciting race. The first one to cross the river would be granted the first year, the second to come in would be the second animal in the cycle, and so on.

The strong, hardworking Ox was in the lead. Suddenly, the clever Rat, jumped on the Ox's back, he did not even feel the little thing getting a free ride. At the last second before reaching shore, the Rat jumped on land, winning the race! The Ox came in second, the Tiger third, and so it went... the happy-go-lucky Pig took his time and came in last... and the Chinese Zodiac and its twelve signs were born...

The Twelve Animals... which one is yours?

In China, individual birth dates are not as important as the year in which a person is born. And if you want to know a person's age, you don't ask how old they are, you ask for their Chinese Zodiac animal.

To know which one is yours, look up the year of your birth below and look at the qualities of that animal to see how much of it agrees with you:

Rat

If you were born in 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 then you are a Rat.
You are charming, picky, ambitious and bright. You are adventurous and deep thinking.
You get along well with Dragons and Monkeys.
Stay away from Horses.

More about the Year of the Rat.

Ox

Tiger

If you were born in 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010 you are a Tiger.
You are powerful, aggressive and courageous. You can also be rebellious and unpredictable but at the same time protective and sympathetic.
The Dog and the Horse are your best signs.
The monkey is trouble.

Rabbit

If you were born in 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011 you are a Rabbit.
The Rabbit is considered the luckiest of the Chinese Zodiac animals. You are affectionate, virtuous and kind. You are sensitive to beauty and aim for peace in your life.
You are most compatible with the Goat and the Pig.
Your opposite is the Rooster.

Dragon

If you were born in 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012 you are a Dragon.
The Dragon was a symbol of Imperial power in ancient China; and Chinese consider it a great honor to be born in the Year of the Dragon. Dragons are full of strength and energy, always on the go. You are powerful, wealthy and wise. Here you can learn more aboutChinese Dragons.
Look to the Monkey or the Rat and watch out for Dogs.
More about the Year of the Dragon.

Snake

If you were born in 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 you are a Snake.
Snakes are determined, wise and intense. You are vain and inclined towards physical beauty.
Befriend the Rooster and the Ox but not the Pig.
More about the Year of the Snake.

Horse

If you were born in 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014 you are a Horse.
Horses are popular and very attractive. Talkative and sometimes showy and impatient.
You get along with Tigers and Dogs but never with Rats.
More about the Year of the Horse.

Sheep / Goat

Monkey

Rooster

Dog

Pig

The Five Elements and the Twelve Animals, what do they mean?

In addition to the Twelve Animals in the Chinese Zodiac that determine a person's destiny, there is also the "Five Elements" which are associated with a certain "life force" or "qi/chi" and also have a bearing in determining your luck.

These are the Five Elements in Chinese Culture, each is associated with a certain direction, season, color and energy:

Wood

Direction: East
Season: Spring
Color: Green
Energy: Life and the process of renewing Life

Fire

Direction: South
Season: Summer
Color: Red
Energy: Enthusiasm and Passion

Earth

Direction: Center
Season: Change of seasons (last month of each season)
Color: Yellow
Energy: Nurturing and Sympathetic

Metal

Direction: West
Season: Autumn
Color: White
Energy: Guarded and Private

Water

Direction: North
Season: Winter
Color: Black
Energy: Flexible and Fluid

You will often see one of the five elements associated with a Chinese Zodiac animal. For example, 2016 was the year of the Monkey and the element was Fire. So it was referred to as the Year of the Fire Monkey, or the Year of the Red Monkey, because fire is associated with the redness of the flames.

The Five Elements together with the Twelve Animals in the Chinese Zodiac form a 60 year cycle.

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The Chinese Zodiac consists of twelve signs and is determined by the Chinese Lunar Calendar. It is based on the cycles of the moon, unlike our western or Gregorian calendar which is based on the solar cycle. In Chinese astrology, there are 12 Chinese Zodiac signs.

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Interactive discussion starters

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8 Ways To Celebrate Lunar New Year | Panda Express Chinese Restaurant

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How to Panda Desserts Catering Wok Smart Innovation Kitchen Tea Bar Taste the Future Masters of Flavor Masters of the Wok Nutrition Information

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Chinese New Year is a festival beyond compare. Technically it's a week-determined by the lunar calendar but always late January to mid February-but for many, Chunjie(Spring Festival) is more like 40 days of celebrations. The travel involved has been called the largest annual human migration in the entire world. China holds 1.4 billion people (18.4 percent of the world's total population, but who's counting?) and every year, nearly three billion people fan across the country, returning to their hometowns. Here are 10 essential things to know about this massive, annual event.

Name that holiday

And the holiday is not celebrated just in mainland China and Hong Kong. For Chinese people, Lunar New Year is the Spring Festival, and it's celebrated widely in Taiwan and across Southeast Asia in countries with large Chinese populations, like Singapore and Malaysia. In Korea, Lunar New Year is called Seollal; in Vietnam, Tet; and in Tibet, Losar.( See Hong Kong like a Nat Geo Explorer.)

Say "Happy New Year!"

In Mandarin, they'll say gong xi fa cai (恭喜发财), wishing you a prosperous New Year. In Cantonese, it's gong hey fat choi. Still, if you wish someone x in nian kuai le (新年快乐), literally "happy new year," that's perfectly welcome, too.

Hear firecrackers popping

Leading up to and during Spring Festival, the streets of Chinese cities used to sounded like war zones, with firecrackers exploding all night. Following a big clampdown on people setting off their own fireworks in urban areas, you'll most likely only hear these sounds in smaller towns and the countryside. The firecrackers serve two purposes: One, they're fun and celebratory; two, they were traditionally set off to scare away dragon-lion monster Nian -who, as legend has it, would attack villagers and sometimes eat children but could be frightened off by loud noises.( Learn about other top New Year's celebrations around the world.)

Read the Chinese Zodiac signs

This year is the Year of the Pig. There are twelve Chinese Zodiac signs, and these are taken far more seriously than a back-of-tabloid horoscope. Some signs, like the dragon, are coveted, because dragons are considered to be authoritative, strong, and successful. Couples will aim to have babies in dragon years. Certain signs are said to match well with others: Dog (sincere, loyal, independent) and Rabbit (sensitive, modest, warm) are believed to be a good pairing. Your sign is determined by birth year-using the lunar calendar-so if you were born between, say, February 17, 1988 and February 5, 1989, you're a dragon. You would think that your Zodiac year ( benming nian, 本命年) would be lucky, but it's the opposite. You'll need to watch out for and ward off bad luck. How to do so? Well ...

See red everywhere

In traditional and contemporary Chinese culture, red represents prosperity and happiness. It's considered a lucky color, and people will wear it in celebration, and to usher in an auspicious new year and to keep away bad vibes. Jumpsuits, sweaters, trousers, scarves, socks, hats, anything is game. If it's your Zodiac year you should wear more red than others, to buffer yourself from misfortune. Plus, in addition to being scared of loud noise, monster Nian is fearful of red. So, maybe red's not your favorite color, or maybe you want to be protected closely, every single day. That's where red underwear becomes useful. Go into any department store from December through February, or stop at one of the many street stalls selling socks and underwear, and you'll see pair after pair of red.

Decorate for good fortune

Walk around older neighborhoods in any Chinese city (or in the countryside) and see peoples' windows, walls, and doors adorned. Squares of red paper with white characters like 福 ( fú, good fortune) are pasted up diagonally. Red paper cuttings get taped onto windows, so passersby can admire them, and red banners (two vertical, with an optional third hanging horizontally) showcase Spring Festival couplets in gold. Likewise, in older neighborhoods, it's not uncommon to see huge salt-cured fish hanging from power lines, drying next to the laundry. Symbolizing prosperity, fish is a must for Chinese New Year. Fish (鱼, yu) is a homonym of 余 ( yu), meaning surplus or extra. In public buildings like offices, hotels, and malls, visitors will notice tasseled, red-paper lanterns strung up, and kumquat trees positioned for good luck and wealth. In Mandarin, a kumquat is called jinju (金橘), and jin (金) is the word for gold.

Exchange envelopes

Hongbao (红包), literally "red packet," is a key element of Chinese New Year. The cash inside is considered lucky money for the upcoming year. Hongbao are generally given by elders to the younger generations, especially children, but if you earn well, it's polite to share with your parents and grandparents this time of year. If you're married, you have to give hongbao; if you're single, you usually receive it. If invited to someone's house for Chinese New Year and you know they have kids, it's nice to put a little bit of cash into a hongbao. If you're traveling in the north, go for a round number; in the south, use lucky numbers (anything with six or eight). Don't give a multiple of four, as the number is a homonym for death.

Cut hair early

It's nice to go into a new year without split ends, but for many people celebrating Spring Festival, it's more than that. Before midnight on New Year's Day, hair salons are abuzz with revelers, wishing to cut away last year's bad luck and walk out with a clean, shiny slate. Then it's no washing for 24 hours, to avoid scrubbing away the good luck.

China's generation of only children are now in their early 30s and many are being nagged by two parents and four grandparents to settle down and have kids. Taobao-tech titan Alibaba's Amazon competitor, considered the world's biggest e-commerce website-offers a solution: You can rent a boyfriend or girlfriend. Prices vary, but expect to pay around $10 per hour, and more per day if your faux-beau has to travel a long distance to your hometown. ( Read about the young and lonely hearts of China's shrinking cities.)

Join the fun

Spring Festival is mostly celebrated at home, with family. Restaurants are closed, but leading up to the New Year, tuck into heaping plates of dumplings (饺子, jiao zi)-which sounds like 交子 ( jiāo zi); the second symbol, 交 ( jiao) means "exchange", 子( zi) is an abbreviation for 11 p.m - 1 a.m.. So put together, you're exchanging the old year for the new with pillowy pockets of dough. With the ban on fireworks in cities, you won't be shooting off pop rockets (your ears will thank you). Short of inviting yourself over to someone's house for dinner, the best bet for participating is at fairs inside temples in Beijing. The largest takes place at Ditan Park, where a canopy of red lanterns is strung overhead and performances are held daily: Tibetan folk dancing, a reenactment of the imperial family's traditional harvest prayers, and magic shows entertain all ages. Handicrafts are for sale, such as snacks like niangao (the holiday glutinous rice square) and jiaoquan (a savory cruller best dipped in doujiang, or fresh soy milk).

Writer Sophie Friedman is based in Shanghai. Follow her travels on Twitter @friedmansophie.

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Top 10 things to know about Chinese New Year

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Chinese New Year is a festival beyond compare. Technically it's a week-determined by the lunar calendar but always late January to mid February-but for many, Chunjie(Spring Festival) is more like 40 days of celebrations. The travel involved has been called the largest annual human migration in the entire world.

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Celebrated around the world, it prompts the planet's largest annual migration of people. And though it is known to some in the West as Chinese New Year, it isn't just celebrated in China. Lunar New Year is time for family reunions, plenty of food-and some very loud celebrations.

Modern China actually uses a Gregorian calendar like most of the rest of the world. Its holidays, however, are governed by its traditional lunisolar calendar, which may have been in use from as early as the 21st century B.C. When the newly founded Republic of China officially adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1912, its leaders rebranded the observation of the Lunar New Year as Spring Festival, as it is known in China today.

As its name suggests, the date of the lunar new year depends on the phase of the moon and varies from year to year. Today, Spring Festival is celebrated in China and Hong Kong; Lunar New Year is also celebrated in South Korea, Tibet, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and places with large Chinese populations. Though the festival varies by country, it is dominated by themes of reunion and hope.

For Chinese people, Spring Festival lasts for 40 days and has multiple sub-festivals and rituals. The New Year itself is a seven-day-long state holiday, and on the eve of the new year, Chinese families traditionally celebrate with a massive reunion dinner. Considered the year's most important meal, it is traditionally held in the house of the most senior family member.

The holiday may be getting more modern, but millennia-old traditions are still held dear in China and other countries. In China, people customarily light firecrackers, which are thought to chase away the fearful monster Nian. (However, the tradition has been on the decline in recent years due to air pollution restrictions that have hit the fireworks industry hard.) The color red is used in clothing and decorations to ensure prosperity, and people exchange hongbao, red envelopes filled with lucky cash. In Korea, people make rice cake soup and honor their ancestors during Seollal. And during Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, flowers play an important role in the celebrations.

Lunar New Year has even spawned its own form of travel: During chunyun, or spring migration, hundreds of million people travel to their hometowns in China for family reunions and New Year's celebrations. This year, writes China Daily's Kang Jia, around 3 billion travelers will be on the road during the 40-day period. Known as the world's largest human migration, chunyun regularly clogs already busy roads, trains and airports. For many, though, it's worth the hassle to celebrate with close family and friends.

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Why Lunar New Year prompts the world's largest annual migration

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Celebrated around the world, it prompts the planet's largest annual migration of people. And though it is known to some in the West as Chinese New Year, it isn't just celebrated in China. Lunar New Year is time for family reunions, plenty of food-and some very loud celebrations.