Lunar New Year Delights

Gung Hay Fat Choy! Chinese New Year is a spring festival that follows the Chinese lunar calendar and traditionally falls between mid-January and mid-February each year. The celebrations usually last for two weeks and represent a fresh start, rejuvenating family love and hoping for happiness in the year to come.

2017 marks the year of the rooster, the tenth sign in the Chinese zodiac.

The 2017 Chinese New Year will last from Jan. 27 to Feb. 11. This is the year of the rooster, the tenth sign in the Chinese zodiac. In the zodiac, hardworking roosters are happiest when surrounded by others and tend to make their careers a priority in their lives.

A great way to celebrate the Chinese New Year at your library is to host a great feast, decorate a door scarlet red and brighten up the space with glowing paper lanterns. Here are some resources and craft ideas to help you plan:

 

How to Decorate for the Chinese New Year: If you’ve never celebrated Chinese New Year before, start here. This is a great list to learn more about the traditions and celebrations.

Origami Rooster: This video tutorial makes it easy to create an origami rooster.

Confetti Poppers: Teens will enjoy making these fun noisemakers!

DIY Lucky Red Envelopes: Have teens create their own versions of the traditional lucky red envelope.

Paper Baubles: Follow this tutorial by Huran Robert (aka Mad Stuff with Rob) to make adorable baubles to use as decorations.

Koi Kites: These colorful fish kites are easy to make and look beautiful hanging in the wind.

Homemade Fortune Cookies: Try this recipe and add your own fortune to make them a really fun treat.

Easy Bake Spring Rolls: These spring rolls are super easy to make and very tasty to eat!

Sticky Rice Cakes: This steamed sticky rice cake symbolizes a long, sweet life with rising abundance for the forthcoming year.

For more fun craft and activity ideas, check out my Chinese New Year Pinterest board.

By Kimberli Buckley, Library Manager, Concord Library, Contra Costa County (Calif.) Library

Original Content found HERE.