Celebrating Chinese New Year: A Journey Across Asia

Now that the half-term break has finished, many classrooms are still buzzing with the excitement of February festivities. While we often think of red envelopes and dragon dances here in the UK, Chinese New Year is celebrated with unique local flavours across many different countries in Asia.

Exploring these variations is a wonderful way to build global awareness and curiosity in young learners. It shows children that while a tradition might have a single name, it can be expressed in many beautiful ways.

How Different Countries Celebrate

Vietnam: The Festival of Tet

In Vietnam, the celebration is known as Tet. Instead of the typical red lanterns we might see in London, families often decorate their homes with beautiful pink peach blossoms or bright yellow ochna flowers.

Classroom Idea: Ask the children to draw their favourite spring flower. This links perfectly to the Understanding the World area of the EYFS curriculum.

Malaysia and Singapore: Lo Hei

In these countries, families gather for a very special ritual called Lo Hei. They toss a colourful salad called Yusheng high into the air with chopsticks. It is said that the higher you toss the salad, the more luck you will have for the year.

Classroom Idea: Use colourful ribbons or scarves to mimic the "tossing" motion during a movement break. It is great for physical coordination and always gets a giggle from the children.

Thailand: Festivals of Light

In Thailand, particularly in areas like Bangkok, the celebrations are famous for spectacular light displays and massive street processions. The focus is often on the community coming together to share food and watch acrobatic performances.

Why These Traditions Matter for Early Learning

Sharing these different customs helps children develop Communication and Language skills. By comparing how a family in Vietnam might celebrate versus a family in Singapore, children learn to:

• Listen to new stories and vocabulary.
• Compare and contrast different cultural practices.
• Develop empathy and respect for others.

At MANDO SCHOOL, we believe that language learning is about more than just words. It is about understanding the world. Our classes use stories and movement to make these cultural nuances come to life for nursery and primary school pupils.

"The children were fascinated to learn that not everyone celebrates in the exact same way. It really opened up a conversation about their own family traditions at home." - Primary School Teacher

Bringing the Celebration into Your Setting

You do not need to be an expert to bring these traditions into your nursery or school. Simple activities like tasting different fruits or listening to traditional music can make a huge impact on a child's cultural capital.

If you would like to bring authentic Mandarin learning and cultural enrichment to your setting, we are here to help. We offer:

• Mandarin classes for Nurseries: Play-based sessions for ages 2 to 5.
• Primary School Clubs: Engaging KS1 and KS2 lessons that fit your timetable.
• Online Interactive Classes: Perfect for flexible learning.

For more information, please visit www.mandoschool.com