Searingtown School Celebrates Year of the Snake

Searingtown parents recently came to the classroom to show their students the traditions of Chinese/Korean Lunar New Year.

The students listened to the many interesting facts about the New Year:

• the use of fireworks are used to drive away the evil in China.
• It is believed that the person who launched the first fireworks in the New Year will get good luck.
• Red is a color for good luck. Most of the decorations are red in color.
• Red packets/ envelope are given with money in it, ranging from one to a few thousand Chinese Yuan.
• The most popular New Yeardecorations are upside down fu, dui lian, lantern, year paint, papercutting,door god, etc.
• Usually a red packet is given by adults, especially married couple, and elderly to young children in the New Year days. It was believed that the money in the red packet will suppress the evil from the children, keep the children healthy and long living.
• A few days before the Chinese New Year, people will do a complete cleaning of the house and housewares to get rid of the old and welcome the new.
• In old days when bathing was not often done, people will normally take a through bath to welcome the New Year.
• After the cleaning, people will decorate the house to welcome the New Year.

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