Every year, students and teachers at Sonnet Montessori observe a cultural celebration of the Lunar New Year. The Lunar New Year is celebrated in many Asian countries, including China, South Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, and Singapore. Our students learned that the Lunar New Year always starts on the day of the second new moon after the winter solstice, and is celebrated for fifteen days, culminating in a Lantern Festival.
There is a twelve-year cycle of animals: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. 2025 is the year of the snake. Our Infant and Toddler Communities enjoyed painting their very own snake while our Children’s House students cut out and designed their own paper snake to take home.
Many students and teachers celebrated by wearing red, which symbolizes prosperity and good fortune.
We were so honored to have a student’s family visit our classrooms and share about their traditions. Our students enjoyed hearing about Lunar New Year through a picture book that they read aloud.
Curiosity about our diverse world and respect for differences is nurtured from birth. Cultural celebrations are an important part of our classroom, as we learn about the traditions of our students, our neighbors, and our world. Cultural learning in our classrooms includes geography, learning about people’s homes, clothing, food, cultural customs, art, music, dance, and festivals, and, as children begin to enter what some scientists call the “age of reason” at around 7 years old, history.
