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Welcoming the New Year!
Everybody
loves
a
party.
And
the
biggest
and
best
party
is
the
one
that
everyone
in
the
world
celebrates:
the
New
Year.
People
may
not
celebrate
the
coming
year
on
the
same
day
that
you
do.
Or
in
the
same
way.
Depending
on
where
in
the
world
you
live,
horns
blare,
firecrackers
pop,
pots
and
pans
are
clanked
together,
or
a
pail
of
water
might
be
thrown
out
a
window.
But
all
of
these
noisemakers
have
something
in
common-- they
are
used
to
ring
in
wishes
for
a
joyous
and
happy
New
Year!
Calendars
Before
calendars
were
invented,
people
based
their
holidays
on
seasonal
changes.
For
example,
they
would
celebrate
a
good
harvest
or
the
coming
of
spring.
But
to
know
when
it's
a
new
year,
you
first
need
to
have
a
calendar.
Several
different
calendars
are
used
around
the
world.
The
Gregorian
calendar,
named
after
Pope
Gregory
XIII,
who
introduced
it
in
1582,
is
used
in
most
countries
around
the
world.
The
pope
improved
on
an
ancient
Roman
calendar,
the
Julian
calendar,
that
Europeans
had
been
using
since
45
B .
C .
The
Gregorian
calendar
is
based
on
the
time
it
takes
the
earth
to
revolve
around
the
sun-- 365
days,
5
hours,
49
minutes,
and
12
seconds-- so
it's
called
a
solar
(sun)
calendar.
(The
time
over
365
days
eventually
adds
up
to
another
24
hours-- a
leap
day.
Every
four
years,
a
leap
day
is
added
to
February.
That
longer
year
is
called
a
leap
year.)
The
Chinese
calendar
is
based
on
the
cycles
of
the
moon.
That's
why
it's
called
a
lunar
(moon)
calendar.
It
is
separated
into
12-year
cycles
instead
of
12-month
cycles.
The
Muslim
and
Jewish
calendars
are
other
ancient
ways
of
tracking
time.
These
calendars
are
divided
into
12
months.
The
length
of
each
month
alternates
between
29
and
30
days.
But
these
calendars
are
usually
only
referred
to
during
Muslim
or
Jewish
religious
holidays.
Chinese New
Year
-CHINA-
The Chinese New
Year
celebration
is
like
Thanksgiving,
Christmas,
the
Fourth
of
July,
and
Halloween
all
rolled
into
one.
It
is
the
most
important
of
all
the
Chinese
holidays--
a
time
for
families
to
come
together,
to
pay
off
all
debts,
and
to
make
up
with
friends.
It's
a
time
to
make
a
new
start
filled
with
hope
and
good
fortune
for
the
future.
Homes
are
cleaned
spick-and-span
to
get
rid
of
any
bad
luck
left
over
from
the
past
year.
Chinese
New
Year
is
celebrated
in
Chinese
communities
all
over
the
world,
beginning
on
the
first
day
of
the
first
lunar
month
of
the
Chinese
calendar
(which
usually
falls
sometime
in
January
or
February
on
the
Gregorian
calendar).
The
New
Year
season
officially
ends
with
the
Lantern
Festival,
on
the
fifteenth
day
of
the
first
lunar
month.
The
Chinese
celebrate
the
New
Year
with
festive
costumed
parades
that
include
the
traditional
lion
dance
and
dragon
dance.
They
light
firecrackers
to
scare
away
any
evil
spirits
that
might
bring
them
bad
luck
in
the
New
Year.
During
the
holiday
season,
families
also
give
one
another
gifts,
honor
their
ancestors,
visit
relatives
and
friends,
and
feast
on
"lucky"
New
Year
foods.
Preparing
for
the
New
Year
The
Chinese
begin
their
celebration
on
New
Year's
Eve.
Families
shop
for
food
and
prepare
for
visits
from
their
relatives.
Many
of
the
foods
served
symbolize
wealth
and
good
fortune.
The
Chinese
may
prepare
scallion
pancakes,
dumplings,
and
plenty
of
pork,
fish,
chicken,
and
vegetable
dishes.
For
dessert
they
will
have
sticky
rice
cakes,
pudding
cakes,
and
fruits.
Kumquats,
apples,
and
oranges
symbolize
good
luck
and
are
given
to
friends
and
family.
Families
"keep
the
night"
together,
eating,
drinking,
and
having
fun
until
New
Year's
morning.
Honoring Ancestors and Ancient Gods
On
New
Year's
Eve,
the
Chinese
prepare
a
special
altar
so
they
can
pray
to
their
family
ancestors
and
a
variety
of
gods.
These
gods
are
in
charge
of
good
luck,
wealth,
health,
and
a
long
life.
The
family
also
burns
incense
and
places
a
food
offering
on
the
altar
to
please
the
gods.
They
pray
to
the
gods
of
heaven
and
earth
and
the
Kitchen
God,
who
watches
over
all
families.
The
Kitchen
God
reports
on
every
family's
good
and
bad
deeds
to
the
Emperor
Jade,
who
is
believed
to
rule
over
heaven.
Some
families
leave
the
Kitchen
God
foods
he
will
like
so
that
he
will
give
them
a
favorable
report.
Others
prepare
sticky
rice
treats
so
the
Kitchen
God
won't
be
able
to
open
his
mouth!
The
result:
an
excellent
chance
for
a
good
and
prosperous
New
Year.
Chinese
families
try
to
please
the
Kitchen
God,
who
watches
over
them.
On
New
Year's
Day
the
Chinese
open
their
doors
to
welcome
the
New
Year
and
the
gods
who
have
brought
them
good
luck.
Families
spend
the
day
visiting
friends
and
relatives.
CHIAO -TZU
(DUMPLINGS)
Most Chinese
families
prepare
these
special
meat-filled
dumplings
for the
New
Year
feast
that
they
will
eat
together.
It's
a
custom
that
is
more
than
2,000
years
old.
Here's
a
simple
and
delicious
recipe
for
you
to
try.
(Makes
30- 40
dumplings)
Chiao-tzu
wrappers
Here's What You Do
- Put the flour in a large mixing bowl.
- Add water slowly as you mix the dough with your fingers
until the dough holds together.
- Work the dough by using your hands to press and mix it
together, forming it into a ball.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured countertop or
pastry board.
- Use your hands to mix the dough until smooth.
Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit half an hour.
- Split the dough in half. Use half of the dough for
the dumpling recipe on the next page, then store the
other half in the freezer for the next time you
want to make more dumplings.
Here's
What
You
Need
Note: Premade wrappers may be
purchased in Asian groceries.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (473 ml) all-purpose flour
- 3 / 4 cup (177 ml) cold water
Equipment
- measuring cups
- mixing bowl
- plastic wrap
Chiao-tzu Filling
Add
the
rest
of
the
ingredients
to
the
cabbage.
Roll
the
dumpling
dough
into
a
log
measuring
about
5
inches
(13
cm)
long
and
cut
it
into
16
to
18
pieces.
Flatten
each
piece
of
the
dough
into
a
circle
that
has
a
3-inch
(8-cm)
diameter.
(Sprinkle
the
dough
with
a
little
flour
to
prevent
sticking.)
Here's What You Need
Ingredients
- 1 cup (237 ml) cabbage,
chopped n 2 scallions,
finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
- 1 lb (454 g)
uncooked ground beef
or turkey or pork
- 1 /4
teaspoon (1.25 ml)
pepper
- 1
teaspoon (5 ml)
sesame oil
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- knife
- measuring spoons
- rolling pin
- large pot
- slotted spoon
- adult helper
Here's
What
You
Do
- Ask an adult to help you
chop the cabbage and scallions
into small pieces.
-
Place
the
chopped
cabbage
in
a
bowl.
Add
salt
and
mix
it
into
the
cabbage
with
your
hands.
- Squeeze
the
excess
water
from
the
cabbage
and
throw
the
water
away.
- Put
a
teaspoon
of
the
filling
in
the
center
of
each
wrapper.
- Fold the edges
over
the
filling
to
form
a
half-moon
shape.
Pinch
the
edges
closed
with
your
fingers,
making
small
dents
along
the
edge
of
the
dough.
- In
a
large
pot,
have
an
adult
help
you
bring
3
quarts
(3l)
of
water
to
a
boil.
Add
one
to
two
teaspoons
of
salt
to
the
water.
- Carefully
place
the
dumplings
one
by
one
in
the
boiling
water.
Stir
to
prevent
dumplings
from
sticking.
-
The
dumplings
are
done
when
they
rise
to
the
top
of
the
pot
and
look
puffy.
Carefully
take
them
out
of
the
pot,
using
a
slotted
spoon,
and
put
them
on
a
serving
plate.
12
Dip
the
dumplings
in
soy
sauce,
and
enjoy.
Lai-see
Chinese
elders
and
married
adults
give
children
and
unmarried
adults
lai-see,
small
square
red
envelopes
filled
with
money,
for
the
New
Year.
These
envelopes
are
decorated
with
beautiful
gold
Chinese
lettering
that
symbolize
happiness,
good
luck,
health,
or
wealth.
SPRING COUPLETS
To invite
good
fortune
into
their
homes,
the
Chinese
hang
spring
couplets,
a
pair
of
long,
red
paper
banners
with
Chinese
characters
written
on
them,
on
both
sides
of
the
entrances
to
their
home.
Spring
couplets
originated
more
than
1,000
years
ago,
when
Chinese
families
placed
peachwood
characters
on
the
gates
of
their
homes.
The
characters
express
good
wishes
for
the
New
Year,
and
the
color
red
symbolizes
happiness.
The
Chinese
also
ang
around
the
house
squares
of
red
paper
on which
a
single
Chinese
character
is
written.
The
symbol
may
mean
honor,
good
health,
or
good
fortune.
Make
your
own
spring
couplets
in
this
activity.
Here's What You Need
- 6
pieces of red
construction paper, 9 by 12
inches (23 by 30 cm)
- two
14-by-22-inch (36-by-56-cm)
pieces of construction paper
- scissors
- black tempera paint
(available at arts and crafts stores)
- paintbrush
- glue
- string
Spring couplets
Here's What You Do
-
Tape
three
pieces
of
construction
paper
together
vertically.
- Paint the Chinese
characters
onto
the
banner
with
the
black
tempera.
(You
might
try
to
practice
drawing
the
characters
on
a
piece
of
paper
a
few
times
first.)
Let
the
paint
dry.
OR Enlarge
the
Chinese
characters,
shown
here,
on
a
copy
machine,
cut
them
out,
and
paste
each
character
onto
the
construction
paper.
Let
the
glue
dry.
Then
go
over
the
symbols
with
the
black
paint.
-
Make
a
stick
for
the
banner
by
tightly
rolling
up
a 14-by-22-inch
(36-by-56-cm)
piece
of
construction
paper.
To
hold
the
roll
together,
glue
the
edge
of
the
end
of
the
paper
to
the
length
of
the
roll.
Let
the
glue
dry.
-
Glue
the
paper
stick
to
the
top
back
of
the
banner
so
that
it
lies
about
a
half
inch
from
the
top
of
the
banner.
-
Cut
a
28-inch
(71-cm)
piece
of
string.
Tie
one
end
of
the
string
to
one
side
of
the
banner's
stick.
Tie
the
other
end
of
the
string
to
the
opposite
end.
-
Repeat
steps
1
through
5
for
the
second
banner.
-
Hang
the
banners
from
a
door
or
on
a
wall.
The
Chinese
express
their
hopes
for
a
good
New
Year
by
displaying
these
symbols.
New
Year's
Day
Parade
In Hong Kong and
the
rest
of
China,
thousands
of
Chinese
attend
a
New
Year's
parade
to watch
the
lion
dance
and
the
dragon
dance.
The
Chinese
consider
the
dragon
to
be
the
most
sacred
animal.
It
is
a
symbol
of
strength,
long
life,
and
wealth.
The
lion
scares
away
evil
spirits
and
brings
good
luck.
The
dancers
underneath
the
bodies
of
the
lion
and
dragon
costumes
control
the
head
and
body
movements.
Unlike
Hong
Kong
and
many
other
cities
in
China,
Taiwan
does
not
have
a
massive
parade.
Instead,
many
small
cities
have
their
own
parades.
Firecrackers
To make sure the new year will be a good
one,
it
is
a
Chinese
tradition
to
set
off
firecrackers
to
scare
away
evil
spirits.
Firecrackers
pop
at
midnight
and
on
New
Year's
Day.
Shopkeepers
light
firecrackers
in
front
of
their
stores
in
hopes
that
their
business
will
attract
plenty
of
customers
and
they'll
make
lots
of
money
in
the
new
year.
In
some
large
cities,
such
as
Beijing
or
Hong
Kong,
people
are
not
allowed
to
set
off
firecrackers
because
of
fear
of
fires.
Instead,
families
and
shopkeepers
hang
fake
firecrackers
as
a
symbol
to
ward
off
evil.
