Zachary Kok
It is the fourth day of the week, yet
it is the weekend. On the 15th of February, the students at Dalat
International School got to celebrate a joyous four-day weekend because of a
global event taking place: Chinese New Year.
Chinese New Year is the first day of
the year of the Lunar Calendar, a system that was first used by the Chinese in
ancient China. Each New Year, there is a zodiac animal which represents the
year, and, according to Chinese beliefs, the animals could affect how your year
will progress. There are 12 zodiac animals, and this is the year of the dog.
Chinese New Year is a very festive
season. It is the time when relatives from far come back for a family reunion
and pay respect to the elders in the family, hence the reason for all the
traffic on the road.
During this long weekend, the Chinese
students at Dalat will be in high spirits for one main reason: red packets. It
is a custom for married couples to give red packets containing money to the
younger generation of family and friends. The red packets symbolize wealth that
is passed down from one generation to another, and the money inside is intended
for the students to spend wisely.
Chinese New Year is a very auspicious
event in the Chinese calendar, but it is only for the Chinese. What do the
other students from Dalat do during this long weekend?
“I
am jealous,” says Simon Jeong (12), a Korean student Dalat. “I see all my other
friends get rich while I’m here at home doing homework.”
Yet, one does not need a special event
to spend time with family. It is still a four-day weekend for them to enjoy
with their friends and family.
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