Junior School

Junior School Celebrates Chinese New Year

蛇年如意 (Shé nián rúyì) - Auspicious Year of the Snake

Chinese New Year celebrations, which began with the Lunar New Year, traditionally continue until the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month.  In some regions, festivities extend even further, lasting the entire first lunar month.

On Friday 7 February, the College community gathered in the ISC to celebrate the Year of the Snake with a vibrant lion dance performance.

In Chinese culture, the lion represents power, wisdom, and good fortune. The lion dance is a significant tradition believed to bring prosperity and ward off evil spirits.  A key part of the dance involves the "cai qing" ritual.  This involves the lion "eating" a head of lettuce (生菜 shēng cài), which symbolises growing wealth due to its similar pronunciation to "生财 shēng cái."  Red envelopes (红包 hóng bāo), representing good luck, are often hung alongside the lettuce.  When the lion "spits" the lettuce back out for an audience member to catch, it signifies the bestowal of wealth.  Tangerines, symbolising auspiciousness, are also offered to the lion. 

The performance is accompanied by the dynamic sounds of large gongs, drums, and cymbals, which are believed to dispel evil and usher in the new year.

Students were invited to participate by offering red envelopes containing money to the lion during the performance. They could also pat the lion's head and back to bring themselves good luck.