Celebrating Chinese New Year 2025
Chinese New Year is a time for joy, family, and tradition. It’s the perfect opportunity to introduce your young children to a vibrant cultural celebration filled with meaningful customs and activities. Whether your family celebrates Chinese New Year every year or you’re learning about it for the first time, this festive season offers endless ways to bond with your little ones while exploring Chinese culture.
What Is Chinese New Year?
Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, marks the beginning of the lunar new year. Each year is associated with one of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, such as the rabbit, dragon, or snake. This holiday is celebrated with family gatherings, delicious food, red decorations symbolising good luck, and lively traditions like lion dances and fireworks.
This year, we are celebrating the Year of the Snake, a symbol of wisdom, transformation, and strategy in the Chinese zodiac. Known for its quiet strength and intuitive nature, the Snake represents a time for thoughtful decisions, personal growth, and embracing change with calm confidence.
Easy Chinese New Year Activity for Parents and Children: Red Envelope Craft
One of the most iconic traditions of Chinese New Year is the giving of red envelopes (angbao or 红包). These envelopes, often filled with money, are gifted to children and unmarried relatives as a symbol of good fortune and prosperity. While the traditional red envelopes are a beautiful part of the holiday, you and your child can make your own homemade versions to add a personal touch!
What You'll Need:
Red construction paper
Child-safe scissors
Glue or tape
Gold markers, stickers, or other embellishments
Instructions:
1. Lets start by cutting and folding!
Cut a rectangular piece of red paper and fold it in thirds, according to the dotted lines in grey.
2. ✂️ More Cutting ✂️
Next, use scissors to cut the paper along the top and bottom edges, leaving flaps in the middle fold to seal the envelope later.
The dotted lines in grey will be used to fold the envelope subsequently.
3. Create the Envelope Shape
Next, trim away all but a half-inch from one of the side flaps—this is where the front of the envelope will be glued to the back side.
Fold and crease the small flaps at the top and bottom, then put glue only on the bottom flap and the smaller side flap.
Next, fold the larger flap over the envelope, pressing it onto the glued flaps to secure. The envelope is now complete!
4. Decorate Together!
Allow your child to decorate the envelope using gold markers or stickers. Popular symbols include gold coins, lanterns, and the Chinese character "福" (fú), which symbolizes good fortune. Since it's the Year of the Snake, consider incorporating snake🐍 designs into the red packet for a special touch!
Fill with Messages
Instead of money, consider writing positive wishes or drawing small pictures to place inside. Encourage your child to make envelopes for family members or friends.
This craft helps children develop fine motor skills, explore creativity, and learn about a meaningful tradition in a hands-on way.
Sharing the Festive Spirit
As you celebrate, take the time to share stories about Chinese New Year customs with your child. Discuss the importance of family, respect, and gratitude, which are central themes of the holiday. You could also try cooking a simple Chinese New Year dish together, such as dumplings or a noodle dish for longevity.
Wishing you and your family a joyous and prosperous Chinese New Year!
新年快乐 恭喜发财！Wishing you great happiness and prosperity!
