RING IN THE YEAR OF THE OX WITH ALESSIAADORA

At AlessiaAdora, we are dedicated to celebrating sources of joy from around the globe. Alessia loves living in such a multicultural country, and attending school with students from backgrounds all across the world. This means that in our household, we often celebrate special occasions from around the globe, not just Canadian tradition. And one of our favorites has got to be Chinese New Year.

This year, Chinese new year falls on Friday, February 12, and takes us into the Year of the Ox on the traditional lunar calendar. Here are some ways you can explore Chinese New Year traditions with your family in 2021:

GET CREATIVE WITH TRADITIONAL CRAFTS

Chinese New Year is a beautiful holiday celebrated with breathtaking traditional decorations and displays. Red is the color most often associated with Chinese New Year, symbolizing luck and good fortune for the year ahead in Chinese tradition. And after 2020, who couldn’t use a little bit of luck? You can get into the New Year spirit with your own family by creating stunning red crafts like paper lanterns or paper cuttings which are not only gorgeous, but easy for the whole family to design. Alessia loves bright and vibrant colors, so these gorgeous crafts are right up her alley.

TRY TRADITIONAL NEW YEAR’S DISHES

Food is one of the best ways you can begin to understand another culture. Alessia loves her school’s yearly Chinese New Year party where she can learn about her classmates’ traditions from tasting delicious New Years’ foods. Dumplings, spring rolls, “longevity noodles,” and bright red jujube dishes are all examples of traditional Chinese New Year food staples that you can try out at home to experience cultural traditions with your own family.

DRESS FOR THE OCCASION

Another way that people can express celebration and joy during Chinese New Year is through their clothes. Red clothing, of course, is most common during this time to symbolize luck- dressing in red is a simple way that anyone can get in the new year spirit. If you want an even more authentic experience or have a flair for fashion, you could also try out special garments traditionally associated with the new year. Alessia loves her traditional silk dress that she wears for New Year celebration. Other forms of traditional attire include the cheongsam style blouse, or gold accessories to compliment red pieces. Each Chinese New Year is symbolized by a specific animal of the Chinese zodiac which will represent the year. In 2021, it is the year of the ox. In traditional ancient Chinese culture, the oz symbolizes many things in the zodiac, for instance, loyalty, honesty and diligence. What better values to keep in mind as we consider all we have learned in 2020 and look towards the exciting new year ahead. Through creating joy of family and community, we can build a bright new future into this springtime and beyond.