By Laura Barta
No need to run to the store just to have a little Chinese New Year fun. On Chinese New Year you can play the multicultural way with things you probably have at home. Do a few or do them all - that's up to you.
1. SWEEP the bad luck out the door. Chinese people clean their houses before the New Year to banish bad luck. Once the New Year starts, wait a few days to sweep again so you don't accidentally sweep away the good luck.
2. DECORATE with animals cut out of red paper. Paper-cuts are a traditional Chinese art and a popular decoration. Another classic decoration is red banners hanging by the door. Cut your own banners from red paper and write Happy New Year or Good Luck on them!
3. VISIT your ancestors by finding a picture of a family member and saying something nice about them. If you don't know something to say, ask someone else to tell you a story about them.
4. WEAR red - it's a good-luck color in China. Make it silk if you have that because silk was invented in China.
5. EAT oranges or tangerines - for good fortune.
6. DRINK tea. It was discovered in China and is very popular there.
7. SAY Gong Xi Fa Cai to wish someone a Prosperous New Year in Mandarin. If you prefer Cantonese, say Gong Hey Fat Choy.
8. DANCE the lion dance. Draw a colorful lion head on a paper grocery bag. One person puts the head on. The other person throws a blanket (preferably red) over their back and becomes the tail. A third person plays a drum beat. Then dance, dance dance!
9. PLAY Rock, Paper, Scissors which also started in China. In one version two children sit on the bottom step of a staircase. The child who wins a round moves up one step. Repeat until one child reaches the top step.
10. MAKE a red envelope. At Chinese New Year, people give children red envelopes with money inside for buying treats. Go ahead and put a dime in it. You haven't spent a penny yet!
If you're curious to learn more about Chinese culture, look for books that make the culture come alive. Amazon has lists of children's books about Chinese culture in their Listmania feature. And, if you want to save a dime, you can also head for your public library. Gong Xi Fa Cai!
Laura Barta is the author of My China Travel Journal, a storybook about life in China (available from Amazon in print and Kindle) and the founder of Whole Wide World Toys ( http://www.wholewideworldtoys.com ), which develops toys that teach children about life in other countries and cultures.
No need to run to the store just to have a little Chinese New Year fun. On Chinese New Year you can play the multicultural way with things you probably have at home. Do a few or do them all - that's up to you.
1. SWEEP the bad luck out the door. Chinese people clean their houses before the New Year to banish bad luck. Once the New Year starts, wait a few days to sweep again so you don't accidentally sweep away the good luck.
2. DECORATE with animals cut out of red paper. Paper-cuts are a traditional Chinese art and a popular decoration. Another classic decoration is red banners hanging by the door. Cut your own banners from red paper and write Happy New Year or Good Luck on them!
3. VISIT your ancestors by finding a picture of a family member and saying something nice about them. If you don't know something to say, ask someone else to tell you a story about them.
4. WEAR red - it's a good-luck color in China. Make it silk if you have that because silk was invented in China.
5. EAT oranges or tangerines - for good fortune.
6. DRINK tea. It was discovered in China and is very popular there.
7. SAY Gong Xi Fa Cai to wish someone a Prosperous New Year in Mandarin. If you prefer Cantonese, say Gong Hey Fat Choy.
8. DANCE the lion dance. Draw a colorful lion head on a paper grocery bag. One person puts the head on. The other person throws a blanket (preferably red) over their back and becomes the tail. A third person plays a drum beat. Then dance, dance dance!
9. PLAY Rock, Paper, Scissors which also started in China. In one version two children sit on the bottom step of a staircase. The child who wins a round moves up one step. Repeat until one child reaches the top step.
10. MAKE a red envelope. At Chinese New Year, people give children red envelopes with money inside for buying treats. Go ahead and put a dime in it. You haven't spent a penny yet!
If you're curious to learn more about Chinese culture, look for books that make the culture come alive. Amazon has lists of children's books about Chinese culture in their Listmania feature. And, if you want to save a dime, you can also head for your public library. Gong Xi Fa Cai!
Laura Barta is the author of My China Travel Journal, a storybook about life in China (available from Amazon in print and Kindle) and the founder of Whole Wide World Toys ( http://www.wholewideworldtoys.com ), which develops toys that teach children about life in other countries and cultures.
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