Year of the Rabbit

Happy Chinese New Year! Chinese New Year is the most important traditional Chinese holiday. Traditionally, the holiday is celebrated for 15 days, and it includes many customs:

• 
  cleaning your house to clear it of bad fortune and make room for good fortune in the new year
• hanging red decorations, paper cut-outs, etc., since the color red represents success and happiness in Chinese culture
• giving money in red envelopes (packets) as presents to family as see on the right (It is traditional to give money in even denominations, especially including lucky number 8.)
• feasting with family on Chinese New Year's Eve with delicacies such duck, fish, and chicken
• watch/light fireworks (follow all safety instructions and check with your government before lighting anything!)
• wear new clothes to symbolize a new beginning
• watch a parade (There's one in San Francisco every year. This year, it's on Sat., Feb. 19 at 5:15 pm. Visit the website for more information.)

Here are some books that give you even more information about Chinese New Year:

Chinese New Year by Savior Pirotta

Chinese New Year: Festival of New Beginnings by Terri Sievert

Happy, Happy Chinese New Year! by Demi


Max Celebrates Chinese New Year by Adria Klein

My First Chinese New Year by Alice K. Flanagan

Ask a Youth Services Librarian for help finding more information about Chinese New Year!

Posted by ws with some help from Wikipedia. Red envelope image source. Rabbit image source.