Dulwich Dudes Magazine February 2022 - Junior School

By Ella Z.
Chinese New Year is coming soon! It is one of the most important Chinese
festivals of the year. People celebrate it by spending time with their loved
ones. This holiday is based on the lunar calendar. Now, let us find out
more about it!
The first sign of a new year is La Ba. It is the 8 th day of the last month of the
lunar calendar. People all over China drink a special type of porridge
called “La Ba Zhou.” It includes ingredients such as grains, beans, and lots
more. This is also the sign for people to start decorating the house and
make it look more Chinese-New-Year-like.
A few days after “La Ba” is the “23rd”. On this day, people eat a sticky type
of food called “Tang Hua”. They will also leave some leftover for a god
named “Wang Ye” to eat so that when he reports a family’s overall
behavior of the year to the god of earth, he will not be able to speak so he
can only nod.
After the “23rd”, it is the “24th”. On this day, people clean and tidy up their
houses to sweep away any bad luck in the preceding year. The next day,
which is the “25th”, people buy and prepare tofu for the new year’s feast.
On the “26th” and “27th” people buy meat from the market to add in their
feast. On the “28th” and “29th” people make the main courses, the
dumplings, baozi, and several types of flour-based food.
On the “30th”, which is the last day of the year according to the lunar
calendar, people play mahjong, watch the new year show, and share a
magnificent feast with their entire family. At night, in some places (that
allow fireworks), you can also share a night full of colours with your loved
ones. Splendid colours flow up to the sky along with the loud sounds of
the firecrackers.
Most people stay up until midnight for the countdown and watch the
Chinese New Year show up until really late. And on the New Year’s Day,
people visit their relatives and wish them a meaningful year. This is called
“Bai Nian”.
But afterwards, people just go back home and enjoy spending time with
their loved ones. Oh, and also, remember to not clean your house this day
since instead of sweeping away bad luck, you are sweeping good luck
away~ There are also lion dancers on the street during the whole time for
people to enjoy.
So, are you ready for the new year (based on the lunar calendar)?! Let us
all wish for a better time in the Year of the Tiger! We wish everyone a
happy Chinese New Year~~~