Gung Hay Fat Choy

Chinese New Year 2011 was on February 3. The Chinese Lunar Calendar is 2,640 years older than ours and never begins on January 1st, nor does it begin on the same date each year. It can begin any time between January 21st and February 18th, depending on the date of the New Moon in Aquarius. Each year is named for an animal, and every 12 years this cycle begins again. The Chinese say that the animal ruling the year that you were born will influence your life. 2011 is the year of the rabbit. These are our family's animal signs:

Josh & Ammon = Dragon

Kala, Jonah & Micah = Sheep

Kanyon = Pig

According to Chinese folklore, every person has personality traits that are the same as their animal birth sign.

Dragon (Josh & Ammon): You are imaginative, lucky, full of fun, and energetic. Dragons are the doers of the world. You don't sit around waiting for things to happen, you make things happen. You demand perfection from yourself and from others. You will make a good talk-show host, artist or diplomat. (Josh is a doer. Ammon is imaginative)

Sheep (Kala, Jonah & Micah): You're a strong believer in what you do, gentle and loving, and very talented in the arts. The sheep is ultrasensitive, altruistic, and sincere. Sheep individuals follow the crowd and seldom lead. You will make a good author, therapist or landscape architect. (Kala is talented in the arts. Jonah is gentle & loving. Micah is ultrasensitive)

Pig (Kanyon): You are happy, good-natured, outspoken, but a little too trusting. Pigs are the nicest people to know. A pig will remain your friend for life. You might do well as a craftsperson, art collector, or comedian. (Kanyon is happy & outspoken)

The 1st graders in Salmon celebrate the Chinese New Year by making animal creations and parading through the halls of the middle school and elementary school with their creations. Jonah and Micah's class made a dragon out of boxes and construction paper. They painted the boxes and cut and taped different colored construction paper to it. The kids worked hard on it all week, and they did a great job!!! They loved their dragon creation!

On the afternoon of Chinese New Year, February 3, the other classes in the schools lined the halls to watch the 1st graders as they passed by. Jonah and Micah's class were the leaders in the parade, and they carried their dragon proudly!

The second class made & carried kites with colored pictures of animals on them, and the last class made and wore lion hats and banged instruments in the parade. It was so fun to watch the parade! It was noisy, too!!! Jonah and Micah's class chanted "Gung Hay Fat Choy" which means "Chinese New Year", and some of them carried instruments just like the other class. Jonah and Micah each held a streamer from part of the 'tail end' of the dragon, and got to shake maracas, too! The kids all loved participating in the parade, and their excitement filled the hallways! It was a fun event to be in and to observe!!! Happy Chinese New Year, or as Jonah and Micah say: "Gung Hay Fat Choy"!