Chinese New Year

Dear Parents

As you will be aware, Handcross Park is a very cosmopolitan school and we welcome pupils from all around the world be they day or boarding pupils. It makes for a community that reflects the world outside and a society that all our pupils are likely to engage with in the future. Our language provision at the school is initially focussed on Spanish and Mandarin and then French (and Latin) from Year 6 for those pupils that have a real aptitude for these subjects.

January is a particularly important month for our Chinese families and so I asked Mrs Jieshang Chen, our outstanding Mandarin teacher, for her thoughts about Chinese New Year which this year takes place on Friday 12th February.

• Why it is important?

This day symbolises the start of the year and it is an important time to be reunited with your family and celebrate together

• What is the animal this year and what does it mean?

It is the Year of the Ox. The ox symbolises diligence, persistence, and honesty

• How do you celebrate this annual event?

There are a lot of traditions for Chinese New Year - clean the whole house before New Year arrives; go to the New Year markets to buy provisions; decorate your house with flowers; lucky charms; put the picture of the ‘Money God’ at your door to welcome fortune to the house; watch lion and dragon dances; enjoy a dinner with family members on New Year’s Eve; children also receive a lot of ‘lucky money’ from parents and grandparents

• How long does it last?

Chinese New Year usually lasts for 15 days.

• What will people being doing this year because of the pandemic?

In China, there are 1.4 billion people. A lot of people who are from the rural and less prosperous areas of the country work away from home to earn enough money for their families. This means that at Chinese New Year, it is the one opportunity for them to go home and spend time celebrating together. It means that all forms of transport – cars/planes/buses/trains – are very busy. However, this year, due to the pandemic, the Chinese Government is encouraging people to stay local and not to travel. ‘Flower markets’ and ‘Temple fairs’ are also cancelled. There is still a positive atmosphere as everyone is hopeful that the new year will be better than 2020.

Happy Year of the Ox. 新年快乐，牛年吉祥！

Richard Brown

Headmaster