Xīnnián kuàilè! (translation: Happy New Year in Mandarin)

Yesterday marked the beginning of Lunar New Year (also known as Chinese New Year) on campus with performances and activities for our students in all four divisions. 

On Tuesday, January 31, the students in the lower grades enjoyed special Lunar New Year treats provided by Viewpoint’s Chinese parents. In addition, the students attended performances by The Immortals, the Los Angeles-based lion dance team, whose skilled performers included members as young as Middle School age. In addition to the fun-filled lion dance itself, which is founded in martial arts, the narrators also shared the various origin myths of the lion dance and its significance in Chinese culture.

In the Upper School, the students enjoyed an outdoor performance of Lion Dance as well as booths offering Lunar New Year snacks. They were given red envelopes like those distributed to young people in Chinese households across the globe, with the chance to earn special prizes. There also were tables set up to showcase traditional Chinese calligraphy, introduce famous places in China, and provide further details about the Year of the Rabbit.

As the students learned, according to the Chinese zodiac, the rabbit has “connections of positivity, kindness, transcendence, and equality. The rabbit is a symbol of alertness and luck - and the year should be unusually busy, but peaceful.”

Don’t forget to stop by the Fletcher Family Library to view our Lunar New Year display. Many thanks to the Viewpoint parents and students who led this year’s celebration of Lunar New Year.