Lunar New Year traditions passed down to Winnipeg students; cultural groups to hold online events

Lunar New Year holds a special place in Kirsten Chin's heart and she wants to share its importance with the next generation.

Chin, a Grade 1 and 2 teacher atO.V. Jewitt Community School in Winnipeg's diverse Maples neighbourhood, shared some Chinese traditionswith her class on Tuesday the first day of the Year of the Tiger.

The tiger is one of 12 Chinese zodiac animals, and it follows last year's animal: the ox.

"I just love sharing my culture and heritage with the kiddos in my classroom," Chin said. "We've been celebrating all of their cultures and heritage and celebrating the diversity in our classroom, talking about how we are all the same but different in our own special way."

She taught her students a bit of Mandarin, including how to say happy new year, what Lunar New Year means in Chinese culture and about some of the beliefs behind one of the biggest annual celebrations in the world.

Chin also helped her students make red paper lanterns with a yellow light on the inside. Each student wrote the Mandarin translation of their nameon the outside of the lantern.

The holiday is also important to Chin herself. She usually spends time celebrating with family.

LISTEN | Kristen Chin speaks about her own Lunar New Year experiences:

Winnipeg students celebrate Lunar New Year

3 years ago

Duration 2:21

Children in Winnipeg learn about the Lunar New Year marked by 2 billion people all over the world

"It just means a time for paying respects to our ancestors and those who have passed and hoping for a new year that brings health and wealth and happiness," Chin said.

"It's very important to me but students love to share what they celebrate at home and I think it's really important for teachers to also share what we celebrate at home too."

Luvneet Bedi, a Grade 8 student at the school asked her fellow students to wear red Tuesday since red is associated with luck, happiness and prosperity.

She was especially excited to learn about the history of Lunar New Year and how it originated.

"It's not something that I learn in my culture and I like learning about other cultures and their history," Bedi said.

Principal Tannis Nishibata-Chan pointed to the culturally rich area of the Maples as a key reason why not just Chin's class but the whole school celebrates an array of cultural events.

"We really think it's really important to have children reflected in their school community and for them to see themselves reflected in the culture of a school," Nishibata-Chan said.

"Ourdiversity committee has done an exceptional job of highlighting these kinds of days so that kids can feel proud of their culture, but also so that they get to see and are exposed to one another's culture and to celebrate that."

Some traditional events cancelled, moved online

The arrival of Lunar New Year triggers the celebration oftraditions in several Asian nationsand it's often marked by large gatherings of family and friends feasting. This usually includes the Flying Lion Dance Troupe being a big part of the 16-day celebration.

However COVID-19 restrictions are preventing Manitoba's onlyauthentic Chinese lion and dragondancegroup from performing any in-person shows this year.

"We're used to the hustle and bustle of moving equipment and getting set up and coming up with different show types or show choreography for each different venue," said troupe president Bernard Phanthavong.

The group tends to do four to five performances each day during Lunar New Year festivities, but it will be a little bit quieter this year.

Phanthavong hopes the troupe is able to perform later this year andfor Lunar New Year2023, the Year of the Rabbit.

"It'd be nice to get back into performing and seeing everyone's faces when we do perform with the Chinese lion."

The 1,000-plus-member Winnipeg Chinese Seniors Association has also had to alter its Lunar New Year plans.

Songyan Liu, vice-president and secretary on the association's board of directors, says the big celebration will take place on Sunday but it will be onlinein both Mandarin and English

"We already got 350 people registered and we organized almost 20 performances," Liu said.

Each year he travels home to China to be with his 92-year-old mother, but said like many the pandemic is keeping them apart.

"Now I still cannot go. I think maybe another year, so that's a little bit painful," Liu said.

CDI student wins Chinatown banner competition

Like the Winnipeg Chinese association, the Winnipeg Chinese Cultural and Community Centre is also expected toholdan online Lunar New Yearcelebration this weekend.

The Downtown Winnipeg BIZ, in conjunction with the centre,announced Kenneth Mayo as the winner of its Chinatown Zodiac banner competition last week.

Mayo, a design student at CDI, was stunned to hear he won the competition.

"Being able to be chosen from among a pool of designers and artists here in Winnipeg, and being chosen as the brand winner is very overwhelming," Mayo said.

LISTEN | Kenneth Mayo discusses winning bannerdesign:

He said his inspiration came from the spirit of the tiger, which Mayo said personifies confidence, courage, generosity and passion.

Mayo also placed significant Chinese symbols, including the half circle, lanterns and pomflowers,on the banner, which was centred on a periwinkle backdrop.