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Chinese New Year

© Peggy Hoehne

Every year, sometime in late January or early February, much of the world celebrates the Chinese New Year. Many thousands of years before the Julian calendar, the one we use here in the USA and that is used in most of the Western world, the Chinese developed their own calendar. This calendar was based on the movement of the sun, moon and stars.

Because it uses the moon's movements, the Chinese New Year is like Easter; it is never on the same date two years in a row. The Chinese New Year will actually occur on the second New Moon after the winter solstice. The winter solstice is December 21, the first new moon is on January 10, 2005, the second is February 8, 2005, and the Chinese New Year is February 9, 2005. Though for us this will be the year 2005, by the Chinese calendar it will be the Year 4702.

The Chinese divide the years into groups of 12. Each year is named for an animal. This year is the year of the Rooster. In China, children do not always know how old they are, but they know what year they were born. A child born the last time it was the year of the Rooster, in 1993, will be twelve years old this year. All the Chinese people will celebrate their birthday during the Chinese New Year, so it is a special celebration for everyone.

Dragons are an important part of the Chinese New Year celebrations. In the Chinatowns of New York, San Francisco and other cities where Chinese have settled, much of the Chinatown Parade has been inspired by non-Chinese parades, but the dragon dance is adopted from the original Chinese celebration.

In Chinatown, you will see a huge cloth dragon sway back and forth around the street corners, chasing a red sun ball or a white pearl-ball. Following the dragon are people playing drums and gongs, and lion dancers with paper lion heads on sticks. As they dance, store and business owners come outside to give them money. The parades attract thousands of spectators every year.

This month, we are going to make a dragon so you can have your own Dragon Parade for Chinese New Year on February 9.

Dragons on Parade

Parental supervision is recommended.

Supplies:
Tempera paints, in colors desired
Paint Brushes
Wide Crepe paper (at least 3 1/2" x 3')
Pattern (see picture)
8" x 11" piece of paper
Scissors
Markers or crayons to decorate the head