More Than a Celebration: Learning Through Chinese New Year Traditions

More Than a Celebration: Learning Through Chinese New Year Traditions

By: Lauren Laoshi (Secondary Mandarin Teacher) 

The Chinese New Year celebration at Stella Maris School Gading Serpong was more than a school event. It was a meaningful learning experience for students from different grade levels. Through creative and hands-on activities, students learned not only about the Mandarin language, but also about Chinese culture and traditions.

Grade 8 students practiced Chinese calligraphy. Writing calligraphy during Chinese New Year is a special tradition. It represents hope, good fortune, and new beginnings. Students learned how to use the brush carefully and write meaningful Chinese characters. They also learned the meaning behind the words they wrote. This activity helped them understand that language is closely connected to culture and values.

Grade 9 students made traditional lanterns. Lanterns are important decorations during Chinese New Year. They symbolize light, happiness, and unity. While making the lanterns, students worked together and used their creativity. They enjoyed designing their lanterns while learning about the cultural meaning behind them.

For Grades 10 to 12, the celebration included Asian cuisine cooking workshops with professional chefs. Students learned how to prepare traditional dishes and understand the stories behind the food. After the workshop, they sold their food at booths during the Chinese New Year celebration. This activity helped students develop teamwork, communication skills, and basic business skills. It was a real-life learning experience that combined culture and entrepreneurship.

In addition, Grade 10 IB and Grade 12 IB students created Duilian (对联), also known as Spring Couplets. These are pairs of poetic sentences written on red paper and displayed on doors during Chinese New Year. They express good wishes for the coming year. Students carefully chose meaningful words and learned about sentence structure in Mandarin. This activity helped them improve both language skills and cultural understanding.

As a Mandarin teacher, I am very proud of the students’ enthusiasm and active participation.
These activities were not only fun and festive, but also very educational. They support language learning and intercultural understanding, which are important parts of the Cambridge and IB curriculum. At Stella Maris School Gading Serpong, we believe that students learn best when they experience culture directly.

Overall, the Chinese New Year celebration had a positive impact on students’ Mandarin learning. They were not only studying the language, but also living the culture. Through calligraphy, lantern making, cooking, and writing couplets, students became more confident in using Mandarin and more respectful of different traditions. It is wonderful to see them grow into open-minded and globally aware learners.