Several years ago, one of our teen volunteers Michelle approached the library with an idea to celebrate the Lunar New Year. She helped us plan crafts and games, and suggested food to buy and share. We are excited to celebrate in person again this year, to share in the joy of this cultural experience together. You can learn more about it on our events page at go.lincc.org/hvprograms.
While we have just finished celebrating the solar new year (all about the sun’s rotations!), the Lunar New Year follows the cycles of the moon. Lunar cycles don’t follow a calendar pattern, so the exact date of the Lunar New Year can fall anywhere between mid-January to mid-February. The Lunar New Year is an important holiday (actually holidays – since it encompasses 15 days of celebrating) in many cultures.
Want to learn more? For a great general introduction, start with the entry in the Encyclopedia Britannica, which includes a short video illustrating the origins of the festival. Along with book recommendations, here are also short videos to share with kids about the history, traditions, and stories of the Lunar New Year.
VIDEOS
This Scholastic News video introduces kids to the sights, sounds, and traditions of the Lunar New Year.
You’ll see author Grace Lin several times on this page. Here she shares who to draw a Lunar New Year decoration, like the ones she draws in her books.
BOOK SUGGESTIONS
Click to view our Lunar New Year booklist, with suggestions for babies through elementary schoolers, and to place items on hold.
CRAFT – MAKING PAPER LANTERNS