Gong Xi Fa Cai - Happy New Year!
Last week, on Monday, February 8th, 11 per cent of the Balmoral Hall population celebrated the most important holiday in their culture, Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year's Day is the first day of the lunar calendar and on the Gregorian calendar it usually falls sometime between January 21st and February 20th. The holiday is celebrated with the exchange of little red envelopes of money, fireworks and lots of family time. It is no wonder a lot of our Chinese students find themselves feeling a little homesick at this time of year.
Understanding Chinese New Year
Each year of the lunar calendar is connected with a Chinese zodiac symbol that cycles through twelve years and twelve animal signs:
- Rat
- Ox
- Tiger
- Rabbit
- Dragon
- Snake
- Horse
- Goat
- Monkey
- Rooster
- Dog
- Pig
This year is the Year of the Monkey. The years 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992 and 2004 were also Years of the Monkey. In Chinese culture, people who are born in the Year of the Monkey are seen as being smart, clever, curious and playful, but also suspicious, selfish and bad-tempered. People commonly believe that those born in the Year of the Monkey will experience good luck in the year 2016, but in fact 2016 is said to be an unlucky year for people under the Monkey sign. For those born under the other signs, 2016 is said to be a great year to be bold, shake things up and take some risks. Click here for a list of traditions that are associated with Chinese New Year.
The display remained in the atrium all last week. Friends and family of BH were encouraged to join in the new year festivities both at Balmoral Hall School and throughout Winnipeg.
Our very own Angela O’Brien-Klewchuk will be co-hosting the Great Wall Performing Arts Chinese New Year Show at the Pantages Playhouse Theatre on Saturday, February 20th. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.
Chinese New Year at BH
On Monday, a display was set up in the school atrium with the goal of allowing all Balmoral Hall students to join in the Chinese New Year celebrations. The display shows some of the history of Chinese New Year, lets students find their own zodiac symbol, and gives information about the Year of the Monkey. Two traditional Chinese instruments, the erhu and the guzheng, are also on display for the week. On Monday, students walking through the atrium were treated to the musical talents of Rosie Deng, who dazzled students with her skill on the Guzheng, a 21 string pick instrument. (Click here to see the video!)
The display remained in the atrium all last week. Friends and family of BH were encouraged to join in the new year festivities both at Balmoral Hall School and throughout Winnipeg.
Our very own Angela O’Brien-Klewchuk will be co-hosting the Great Wall Performing Arts Chinese New Year Show at the Pantages Playhouse Theatre on Saturday, February 20th. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.
Balmoral Hall School
630 Westminster Ave. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3C 3S1
Tel: (204) 784-1600 | Fax: (204) 774-5534 | info@balmoralhall.ca
Charitable Registration No. 12994 3932 RR0001
Tel: (204) 784-1600 | Fax: (204) 774-5534 | info@balmoralhall.ca
Charitable Registration No. 12994 3932 RR0001
Our mission at Balmoral Hall School is to inspire girls’ imagination and the courage to excel, to reach, to lead, to care.
We are a nondenominational independent day and boarding school, educating students from Junior Nursery to Grade 12.
