GNS: Celebrating the Lunar New Year at MBE

Multicultural song and dance is a large part of the music program at Mary Bergeron Elementary in Edson. One of the student’s favorite units is celebrating the Lunar New Year (Chinese New Year). For the past eight years, Ms. Prince has been teaching the many different facets of the Lunar New Year with an emphasis on the dragon parade and the accompanying songs and instruments.

Each January to February, the students in Kindergarten to Grade 2 begin the unit by learning about the customs and traditions that go along with the Lunar New Year. They love listening to the Legend of the Nian, which is the very reason the Lunar New Year is celebrated. They also learn everything from the specific foods that are eaten, to the clothing worn as well as the 12 specific Animals of the Zodiac (they love learning about their own specific animal and how that animal personality is similar to their own).

Next, the students create their own dragons (which is a highlight). These dragons are later used in a whole school dragon parade. In the past, they have made dragon puppets, masks and marionettes. Once the dragons are created, the students begin to learn how to play many different songs about the Lunar New Year on xylophones, drums and cymbals. They learn the traditional drum roll and dragon pattern that goes along with the parade and practice moving along to the traditional music using scarves and hoops.

To mark the end of the two week celebration, they wrap up the unit with a dragon parade. Chosen students play drums and cymbals to a specific pattern and the other students move their dragons to the beat as they parade the hallways and in and out of the classrooms of the school. At the end of the unit, Ms. Prince makes a draw and two lucky students per class are given a red envelope (Hongbao) to symbolize good wishes and luck for the coming year.

GNS: Celebrating the Lunar New Year