from Morgan, student contributor

Chinese New Year is here! This year is the year of the snake. The first day of Chinese New Year is February 10th, so the New Year is well underway.  The Chinese New Year celebration lasts over a span of two weeks. In preparation for the New Year it is a custom that Chinese people thoroughly clean their house sweeping away all of the bad luck from the previous year. After the first few days of the New Year they don’t clean their house to prevent the good luck that the New Year will bring to go away. Eight is the lucky number of because the word eight in Chinese rhymes with the word fortune and wealth. Red is the lucky color of the New Year; Chinese people typically paint their doors and windowpanes red for good luck. Some people also decorate their home with plastic firecrackers to ward off bad luck. Paper cut outs are also hung during this time. Red is also worn through the New Year and when worn with gold it shows full participation during the New Year. Children receive red packets filled with lucky money. Tangerines and oranges are also handed to children for good luck. Chinese people use the greeting 恭喜发财 (gōng xǐ fā cái) – meaning “you wish someone to be very rich” – but the phrase is generally used as a Happy New Year. Chinese New Year is the most important part of the New Year because it is a time to connect and share with your relatives and friends.  During Chinese New Year the Tray of Togetherness is used, it is a tray with eight compartments filled with food for good luck for people to eat from. Fish is also cooked because the word for fish rhymes with surplus or excess. Dumplings are made and some Chinese families hide a coin in the dumplings and whoever gets it is said to have good luck during the coming year. The Chinese Class of ATA College Prep went to 王老师’s house to cook for the New Year, we made dumplings, salmon, rice cake, and a noodle dish, it was all very delicious. Here are some photos of us celebrating the Chinese New Year. 恭喜发财!!!