Happy Chinese New Year! Also known as the Lunar New Year, it is celebrated for 15 days marking the end of the coldest days. In 2024, February 10 will mark the start of “The Year of the Dragon.” At Goosehill, classes had a chance to learn the meaning of the Lunar New Year, and make a lion mask craft under the direction of Educator Jennifer Henriquez from the Long Island Children’s Museum. There was so much to learn, and so many questions! Most importantly, that lunar means moon.

Students learned the difference between following a lunar calendar (where New Years Day changes every year as it follows the 12 full cycles of the moon roughly 354 days). Depending on the cycle, each year represents one of the 12 Zodiac signs. Goosehill students learned that if they were born in 2017 that was the year of the Rooster, and those born in 2018 were the year of the Dog.

Students learned the United States follows the Solar New Year, which marks the time it takes earth to orbit the sun (365 days), hence our New Year’s Day remains constant on January 1. Lunar New Year celebrations welcome spring and what it brings along: planting and harvests, new beginnings and fresh starts. The two most popular Chinese New Year dances are the “dragon and the lion dance” performed as a symbol of good luck in China's culture, along with good luck colors of red and yellow. Happy Year of the Dragon!