All is quiet in the removal yard at Granma T's and the storage bays are safely locked up. However inside the house there is frantic activity. The children are making new paper pictures of the Kitchen God to stick behind the cooker. Granma T is cutting out pictures of the Guardian of the Gates to stick on the doors.
The reason for all the excitement is that the New Year approaches. The workmen and Mai Ling have returned home to celebrate this important occasion with their own families. No business will take place for the rest of the week and the yard will remain closed.
The Year of the Dragon approaches, while the Year of the Hare (special for Little Ming) is closing. The Dragon likes to be left alone, objects to change and is fond of the night time. At midnight in the dragon light the children will bow before Granma T and the New Year will be let in with fireworks and the burning of incense.
This special week will continue until the Festival of Lanterns, when more fireworks are set off and lanterns of all shapes and sizes will festoon the buildings.
In the meantime:
Pupils:
You may like to:
- complete the silhouette of a rocket firework using a double
tangram (i.e two sets of the tangram) and go on to use both
tangrams to design and colour a fearsome dragon.
- find out when was the last Year of the Dragon. - discover the animal which represents the year in which you were born and what your character is supposed to be, based on that animal. (Do you agree with these ideas about your character? )
Parents:
You may like to help your children find out more about the Chinese
New Year. E.g.
Teachers:
You may like to ask the children to:
- instruct a partner orally, using an intervening screen or sitting
back to back, on how to make their dragon designs.
- investigate the year 2000 - a Christian festival; but what year is it for other major religions e.g. Moslem, Jewish, Buddhist and Coptic?
- find out what the French revolution has got to do with all of this?