This document discusses the Year of the Horse according to the Chinese zodiac and traditions for Chinese New Year. Children born in the Year of the Horse are said to be independent, fun, cheerful, full of energy, determined, and able to complete tasks. Chinese New Year is celebrated for over two weeks starting on January 31st and involves cleaning homes, wearing red clothes, decorating with lights and paper decorations, giving children lucky money in red envelopes, parades with dancing and dragon puppets, family meals with lucky foods, playing cards, setting off fireworks at midnight, and releasing lanterns with wishes.

1. The Year of the Horse
By Deborah J. Smith

2. Chinese people name their years after 12 animals.
This year is the Year of the Horse.
Children born this year will be independent, fun,
cheerful and full of energy. They will also be
determined and keep on with a job until it is done.

3. What sign are you? (for Foundation Units)
Are you a rat, a tiger or an ox?
Children already 5, or who
have their birthday before
Jan 26th , were born in the
Year of the Rat
Nursery children with
birthdays between Feb &
August were born in the
Year of the Tiger.
Everyone else in Nursery
& Reception is born in
the Year of the Ox.

4. Chinese New Year is a holiday celebrating the beginning of a
New Year. It starts on Jan 31st & lasts for more than 2 weeks.

5. Before the first day of
Chinese New Year,
families clean their
homes from top to
bottom to clear out any
bad luck from the last
year and to get the
house ready for good
luck in the new year.
But be careful: all the
cleaning has to be
finished before New
Year's Day so there's
no chance of
accidentally throwing
out the good fortune of
the new year.

6. Also, before New Year's Day, you're supposed to buy new clothes
or cut your hair in order to have a fresh start. And never, ever
wear black during Chinese New Year - it's bad luck. Red is the
colour of good luck, so wearing lots of red is encouraged.

7. Families decorate their houses with lights outside their homes- a
bit like our Christmas lights.
On New Year’s Eve, decorations (hui chun) made from red and gold
paper are hung on the doors. They are to bring good luck, happiness
and long life for the coming year.

8. On New Year's Day, grown ups give children lucky red envelopes
called Hong Bow containing money or sweets and everyone says
"Kung Hei Fat Choy!“ HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Remember- don’t open the envelope until the grown up has left the
house ! It’s bad luck!

9. On New Year's Day, there are parades, with music and dancing.

10. Children get little presents, like dragon
puppets and lanterns.

11. There are long lines of dancers who carry dragons on long sticks.
They leap and twist so that the dragon looks like it is moving.

12. The most
exciting bit is
when the lion
dancers come on.
Lettuce heads
with money in
are hidden in
hard to reach
places along the
parade route and
the dancers
must climb and
jump to reach
them.

13. On New Year’s Day, families come together and have a huge meal.

14. There are eight or nine dishes because those are lucky numbers.
The meal includes dumplings (because they look like gold nuggets),
oranges, and long noodles (for long life).

15. At the end of the meal, sticky cakes and sweets are served. They are part
of a story about the Kitchen god who is a bit like Santa Claus.
It is his job to tell to tell the Jade Emperor in heaven whether the family
has been good or bad this year. The family gives the Kitchen God sweet,
sticky foods so that his lips will stick together and he won't be able to tell
tales on them!

16. After dinner the family plays cards with all the lights turned on
until midnight. At midnight, fireworks and crackers are set off.

17. On the last day of the Festival, the family make wishes and
light lanterns. They hope that the wind will carry them up to
the Jade Emperor, who will grant their wishes.

18. "Kung Hei Fat Choy!“
Have a happy and prosperous New Year!