2007 Lunar Calendar Available

We've created the pdf file showing how the phases of the moon compare to the 2007 calendar. If you would like a copy, please post a comment with your email, or email me at mus-mandarin@wubison.com.

I love the look but we make one every year so that people can see how each month of the Chinese calendar begins with a new moon. If there is a full moon, one knows it is the 15th of the lunar calendar. Children - and adults - always want to look at it when I take it anywhere.

The "opposite" or negative image can be seen on my Musical Mandarin blog.

United Nations Day 2006

Paul Boutin, a technology writer, has a much less child-friendly view of Chinese New Year. After the link to The San Francisco Chronicle's January article on the Year of the Dog by Frederic Larson, Boutin refers to the filtering/censorship that is required on Google in China.

I know I am wrestling more and more with the question of how much to tell my children about what is happening in the world, and at what age are they ready to see the newspaper and the front page daily.

Steve Whan still has weekly child-friendly China news in his Focus on Culture.

Riddles from other countries

Screaming, soaring / seeking sky
Flowers of fire / flying high
Eastern art / from ancient time
Name me now / and solve this rhyme

The riddle above is by Eric S. Raymond. I learned a lot about Middle English-style riddles from his on Riddle Poems and how to make them ( http://catb.org/~esr/riddle-poems.html) . Maybe you can use it - or see how English and Viking riddle peoems compare and contrast with those by the Chinese used for Lantern Festival. Unless you are working with the originals, of ocurse, you cannot look at the meter and rhyme.

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Answer: Fireworks.
from http://catb.org/~esr/riddle-poems.html

Mama Lisa's on Chinese New Year

I have looked at Mama Lisa's Children's songs and nursery rhymes site and Folks Songs archive on and off - usually looking for Girl Scouts. (There are only two songs in her China section of children's songs.)

I had no idea she had seven articles on Chinese New Year as well. I especially liked Greetings and Hand Gestures for the Chinese New Year. Perhaps when I add better graphics to this site I will be less impressed, but the photo was so helpful.

Preparing for the Pig

The Year of the Pig begins Saturday, February 18^th, 2007.

This means that 12/20 lunar (Wednesday, February 7, 2007) should be set aside for the annual housecleaning and 3 days later on Saturday, the kitchen god will be going up to report, and that February 28^th ‘should’ find you preparing for the Lantern festival, which begins on the 15^th night, which is 29th this year. (This two-week period includes Valentine’s Day and if you plan on ‘teaching’ the holiday, you may want to consider that in your plans.)

I may be eyeing those candy pigs that sometimes show up around Christmas to see if they would last.

I like this origami pig for children to try. You can download the directions there.

As we get closer to the date, you should be able to a Chinese calendar for February 2007, at China the Beautiful: February 2007 calendar . It was not ready yet in September 2006. There is a special name for the first day of the new year - but you should be able to see the character for 2 (二), on February 19^th, and for 3 (三) on February 20^th.

If you would like a one-page 2007 calendar overlaid with the phases of the moon, email me at mus-mandarin@wubison.com and ask for my "lunar calendar".

For more on Chinese calendars see:
China the Beautiful's Introduction to Chinese Calendars
Scotland Online's Chinese New Year page

In school with Beth

Beth runs a nice blog on Cambodia & Cambodian culture. "Celebrating Chinese New Year with Skype, Flickr, Stickers and Paper" is what she did one year in her daughter's classroom.

She has her lesson plan, Fu for good luck, a song, and a set of handouts. (Pages 4 & 13 are specific to the Year of the Dog, but even those pages will be 'good' again in 2018.)

Cambodian New Year

There is more variation in "new year" celebrations in Asia than one might at first expect. In Cambodia, it is celebrated in April!

Introduction: Cambodian New Year by Laurie Fenton
Cambodian New Year Talk in School by Laurie Fenton
Celebrating Cambodian New Year (K-2)
Wikipedia on Cambodian New Year

Talking to teachers

It may not be too early to mention to your child(or children)'s teacher(s) that you are interested in doing something for Chinese New Year. The next one is February 18, 2007 and quite close to Valentine's Day. While it is nice that the room might still be red, not everyone can handle two celebrations in their classrtoom so close together. Good thing that Chinese New year is two weeks long!

Maybe you will just happen to send in a special treat for them on October 6, 2006 for Mid-Autumn Festival to get them interested in our festivals. . . even if you are not going in for that this year.

It's months away

With this weather and back-to-school right around the corner for those of us in North America who have not started yet, it may be hard to think about Chinese New Year. However, you may want to keep it in mind if you are planning on doing something for Mid-Autumn Festival. That is October 6th, 2006.

Chinese New Year fabric?!?

eQuilter.com has had nice fabrics for years, mostly 100% cotton for quilters.  Right now she has some Chinese themed fabrics.  I have done business with this company but have no other ties.  Right now she has a number of Chinese (and Japanese) themed fabrics.
Chinese New Year fabric 
Chinese characters fabric

Another Chinese New Year Site

This site is certainly going to be revisited by me, at least!

Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco: Celebration of the Chinese New Year

Spring Equinox

Enjoy!

Spring Equinox is Coming

Did you know that Chinese New Year is halfway between the Winter Solstice (Dong Zhi) and Spring Equinox? Actually it is on the first new moon on or after the mid-point between the Winter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox. The vernal or spring equinox is the middle of spring & will be March 20th, 2006 for the Northern Hemisphere.

Chun Paper Cut project

If you want to make a paper cut hanging of the Chinese character for spring (chun, 春) , Childbook.com (*) has posted directions. It looks nice without the tassel too.

Spring paper cut project

According to the Chinese calendar, spring has arrived. Sunday in my backyard, it was 21 degrees.

* - a source for Chinese Children Books, Videos, Music, and Software that helps Children (and others) learn more about the Chinese Language and Culture. My only connection is as satisfied customer.

Coloring Pages

Tiger Coloring Pages

Dragon Dance Coloring Page
Pair of Chinese Lions (detailed)
Chinese New Year Lion Dance Coloring Page

CNY Paraders

Detailed Dragon
Chinese Parade Coloring Pages
abcteach's Chinese parade dragon
This page includes a Parade Dragon

Coloring Page: Pagoda
Coloring Page: Panda

CNY Boy in Traditional CostumeZodiac Animals
Fu character - good luck
Another Fu
New Year characters
Prosperity character
The 12 zodiac animals
Pig page

37 coloring pages from amazing clipart - The images are not labeled, but my favorites include: fish (#11), pictures with characters (#19 and 20), dragons (#8, 16, 23), and the 12 zodiac animals (#26-37). Sadly, eight or ten of the images, including one dragon seem to be copies from the Chinese Parade coloring pages, and the parade dragon seems to come from abcteach.

There is more online if you are looking for Crafts for CNY, Chinese "games" for 3-9s, Chinese Games, Chinese New Years songs, or CNY lesson plans. abcteach.com, edhelper, and enchantedlearning.com all have more things - some free and more for their subscribers.

last updated: 2/2007

Lantern Festival: 2/12/2006

The fifteenth and last day of Chinese New Year celebrations is Lantern Festival (or Yuanxiao Jie).

Lantern Festival Origins
http://cny.blogspot.com/2005/02/lantern-festival-origins.html

Lanterns
http://cny.blogspot.com/2005/02/hong-bao-lanterns-for-15th-day.html
There are more crafts, including other lantern ideas at:
http://cny.blogspot.com/2006/01/childrens-cny-crafts-and-activities.html

Other sites on the festival include:
Taiwan government's official site on Lantern Festival
Chinese Lantern Folk Festival site from about.com.
The Chinese mainland will be lit up by an array of lanterns.

Lantern Riddles
Lantern riddles
http://cny.blogspot.com/2004/12/lantern-riddles.html
Answers for those riddles
http://cny.blogspot.com/2004/09/lantern-riddle-answers.html

Word riddles
http://cny.blogspot.com/2005/01/more-on-lantern-riddles-word-riddles.html
More lantern ridles
http://cny.blogspot.com/2004/12/more-lantern-riddles.html
http://cny.blogspot.com/2005/01/more-on-lantern-riddles-word-riddles.html

Chinese Language Resources

http://www.knowledgehound.com/topics/chinese.htm

http://www.freechineselessons.com/

http://zhongwen.com/

Chinese New Year 2006

This year Chinese New Year started on January 29, 2006. It was the start of a Year of the Dog; 1/1/4704 on the Chinese calendar; and a new moon. Each Chinese month (and year) starts on the new moon. For a PDF file showing this year's calendar with the phases of the moon, email your request to mus-mandarin@wubison.com

The Year of the Dog is supposed to be 'good for marriages', just as the Year of the Dragon is good for births.

It is a red-fire Dog Year. Some Feng Shui followers have suggested putting a sculpture or picture of a rabbit in your front door - so the dog will chase the rabbit out and take bad energy with it.

A dog's bark "wang" is the homonym to another Chinese character meaning wealth and prosperity. Barking dogs bring prosperity for New Year.

China brought back New Year's firework tradition (AP)BEIJING The old tradition of fireworks at Chinese New Year celebrations was back with a bang in Beijing on Saturday, as authorities lifted a 12-year ban during the Lunar New Year holiday.

New rules allow residents of the capital to ignite fireworks all day on Jan. 28 and 29 - New Year's Eve and New Year's Day - and from 7 am to midnight every day from Jan. 30 to Feb. 12.

Lunar New Year in China

Pictures of CNY from around the world

One person's CNY in Taiwan

Chinese New Year Songs

I (teach and) sing two different Chinese New Year songs with groups. One is:

Xin nian kuai le, Gong xi fa cai,
Xin nian kuai le, Gong xi fa cai,
Xin nian dao.

For Gong Xi, Gong Xi ni, I teach the chorus and sing the verse myself. The chorus is:
Gong xi, Gong xi, Gong xi ni,
A, Gong xi, Gong xi, Gong xi ni,

Kiddy House has new English words for this traditional Chinese New Year Song titled Smile at everyone you see.

Chinese for Families has a pdf for a Chinese New Year song posted on their website but I can't find the tune.

To hear a lovely (although nontraditional) Chinese New Year song, visit.
http://www.nancymusic.com/Gunghayplay.htm

Can Teach has English lyrics about Chinese New Year set to common American/English tunes at http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems54.html

Collections of Chinese New Year MIDI files - Some of these are good for parading!
http://china.tyfo.com/int/art/festival/spring%20festival/music.htm
http://home.pacbell.net/lcng/nymidi.html

Or see, Music Lesson Plans


Last updated: February 2007

Nai-ni Chen's Year of the Dog Disappoints

We started the Chinese New Year with the Nai-Ni Chen Dancers special Chinese Zodiac production that incorporates dance, contemporary music, and martial arts. Each year they create dances based on the Chinese Zodiac animal and I had always heard great reviews – but never gone. In 2006, we saw traditional Chinese dances and three of the company’s new dances: The Double Lion Dance, the Peacock Dance and a Double Spear Dance. One seemed especially long for the younger audience members as it was mostly instrumental with only a tiny bit of dancing.

I think the educational version would have been better for us - I heard good reviews about that performance. (I heard that they 'taught' a bit of body percussion demonstration in that - although I don't know if that is what they called it.) I enjoyed much of what I saw - but even for me, as an adult, 'that' instrumental piece was quite long!

The “Year of the Dog” was not written up last time I checked, but I recommend their other study guides.