I love teaching my children about new cultures and holidays and Chinese New Year is a fun one to celebrate. For the year 2017- it is the year of the Rooster.
Chinese New Year is the Chinese festival marking the start of the new year, beginning on the second new moon after the winter solstice and ending on the full moon fifteen days later (which lands on January 28th this year). Chinese New Year is marked by visits to family and friends, special meals, fireworks, and gift giving. Chinese New Year is to celebrate a year of hard work, have good rest, and relax with family.
Most of all, it is to wish for a lucky and prosperous coming year.
Firecrackers are an easy, fun craft to do with the whole family. Red and gold symbolize happiness and good fortune, and the firecrackers are hung on the door for good luck and to ward off bad spirits. All you need a few simple items.
- Red Paper or Toilet Paper Rolls painted red
- Gold ribbon {maybe leftover from Christmas or check out the clearance sections of your favorite store}
- Scissors
- Hole Punch
- Tape or Glue
- Glitter {Optional. Beware: It gets everywhere}
Step 1: If you are using toilet paper rolls, paint them now and wait until they are completely dry before going to the next step. Cut the red paper {on sale at Michaels for $2-50 sheets} into 4 squares. Since 8 is a lucky number in Chinese culture, consider using 2 sheets of paper.
Step 2: Glue or tape the edges of each paper to create a cylinder “firecracker” shape.
Step 3: Glue or tape ribbon around the firecracker and/or spread glue around the whole firecracker and roll in glitter.
Step 4: Create 2 hole punches and feed your ribbon through both holes. Double knot each firecracker and continue adding a firecracker to create a garland-like strand of firecrackers.
Step 5: Hang it on your door for good luck and to keep evil spirits away.
Happy Chinese New Year and good luck for this Rooster year!
