Happy Chinese New Year!

Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, marks the beginning of a new Lunar New Year and the end of the coldest season in China.

This year symbolises the year of the Dragon, the fifth of the 12 animals of the zodiac. According to the Chinese calendar, all zodiac animals have their own representations and personality.

People born in a year of the Dragon are considered to be charismatic, intelligent, confident, powerful and they are naturally lucky and gifted. There is even a reported increase in the number of babies born in China during the year of the Dragon as parents want their children to have these desirable traits.

The history of Chinese New Year dates back 3,500 years, originating in the Shang Dynasty (1600–1046 BC), when people held sacrificial ceremonies in honour of gods and ancestors at the beginning or the end of each year. Today, many traditional activities have disappeared and new ways to celebrate the new year have emerged.

To commemorate the Chinese New Year, we have noted some ideas to help you celebrate the day with your family and friends:

• Like Christmas, the heart of Chinese New Year involves family time, festive food and loved ones returning home for the Spring Festival. Why not cook some heart-warming Chinese cuisine like dumplings and celebrate the new year with a taste of China!

• Get creative and create Chinese New Year decorations with your family. Red is the main colour of the festival and it is considered auspicious – typically, in China, every street, building and house is decorated with the colour red!

• Transfer some fortune to your children - in China, children receive ‘lucky money’ in small red envelopes that are considered to transfer good fortune from grandparents and parents as good luck. Why not reward your child with a small surprise for any recent achievement they have made whether that be in in school, or in their Kumon studies?