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New Year Celebrations
Instructor: Joyce Cromartie
Students: Various
Objectives:
- To show the universality of many New Year celebrations
- To present traditions associated with New Year celebrations
- To explain why New Year is at different times for different people
Background:
New Year’s Day is the first day of the year, but the date itself may vary according to the calendar used. All countries of the world that follow the Gregorian calendar celebrate New Year’s Day on January 1st. Other cultures and religious groups celebrate New Year on days specific to their own calendars.
From the earliest times, a loud noise was believed to frighten away the evils of the old year. Today, the celebrations are still noisy. In Japan, bells are rung 108 times on New Year’s Eve, and in the United States, bells chime 12 times on the stroke of midnight. In many cities of the world, people repeatedly honk their car horns at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Fireworks explode, bands play music, and people dance in the streets to welcome in the New Year.
Click here to see a list of New Year celebrations and their corresponding dates. Dates that are marked with an asterisk (*) can be moved, depending upon the lunar or religious calendars for that year. Many of these New Year celebrations are celebrated throughout the United States. Celebration locations are identified by number on the map.
The Chinese New Year wishes are fortune, honor, and longevity.
Foods to Share:
Certain foods are considered lucky to eat at New Year. Try your luck preparing and eating them, and tell the story behind each snack.
Italians, Portuguese, and Spaniards eat grapes or raisins on the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve. Give each child 12 raisins or grapes in a small cup. Eat them together, counting the numbers as the fruit is enjoyed.
On New Year many Chinese families offer Chuen-Hop or “tray of togetherness” to their visitors. Traditionally, it has eight compartments, each with a special type of food: candied lotus seeds are said to bring sons, candied melon promotes health and growth, and watermelon seeds symbolize prosperity. Buy these preserved fruits at a Chinese grocery store, and serve them in an octagonal tin. Suggested fruits are: lotus seed, watermelon rind, watermelon seed, preserved plum, preserved apricot, preserved loquat, candied ginger, and banana chips.
In Korea, rice cake soup is traditionally eaten on New Year’s Day. Make your own rice cake snakes by offering a rice cake to each child with a selection of toppings such as red bean paste, hummus, or cream cheese.
The Vietnamese and Chinese astrological calendar assigns an animal to each year. The zodiac does the same with the 12 months of the year. Buy a box of animal crackers and serve them, saying each animal’s name as the cookie is served.
Culminating Activities:
- Plan a field trip to local grocery stores
- Invite parents to share a special skill related to the subject
- Encourage parents or relatives to share any books, memorabilia or other items related to the theme
