Children have never had so many reasons to learn how Chinese people
everywhere ring in the new and ring out the old. As China takes its new
place on the global stage, understanding Chinese culture and values
becomes ever more essential to our next generation.
For two joyous weeks red is all around. The color represents luck and
happiness. Children receive money wrapped in red paper, and friends and
loved ones exchange poems written on red paper. The Chinese New Year is
also an opportunity to remember ancestors, and to wish peace and
happiness to friends and family. The holiday ends with the Festival of
Lanterns, as many large communities stage the famous Dragon Dance.
Fireworks, parades, lanterns, presents, and feasts: these are some of
the joys experienced by all who observe Chinese New Year.
Celebrate Chinese New Year is the latest, timely addition to National
Geographic's popular Holidays Around the World series. With 25 colorful
images and a simple, educational text, the book is a lively invitation
to revel in this child-friendly, national and international holiday.
Carolyn Otto brings the historical and cultural aspects of the Chinese
New Year into focus, and young readers experience the full flavor of an
event celebrated by over a billion people in China, and countless others
worldwide.
National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core
Resources.
Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.