Fun Online Classes to Celebrate Lunar New Year 2022

February 1st, 2022, is the first day on the Chinese Calendar, and it marks the beginning of the Year of the Tiger. This special day is Lunar New Year, also called Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival, a holiday celebrated by over two billion worldwide. It begins on the second new moon following the solstice and lasts for fifteen days – until the moon is full.

It’s a time of feasting and traditions, fireworks and lanterns. Originally, it was a day for praying to the gods for prosperity and a good harvest. Today, the focus has shifted. For some, it’s a time to worship ancestors. For many, it’s an opportunity to spend time with family and anticipate the year to come.

This Lunar New Year, help your child celebrate with a unique themed Outschool class. Below is a sneak peek of some of our featured courses, plus some fun facts about this beautiful holiday.

Celebrate Lunar New Year 2022 With These Outschool Classes

This isn't a comprehensive list, but it will give you a good idea of the variety of classes that we offer. And of course, you can always search for yourself. Here's a quick guide on using filters and how to find the perfect class for your learner.

Celebrate Lunar New Year! Chinese Calligraphy N Paper Cutting-Beginner Cantonese

• In this no-experience-required beginner Cantonese class, we will celebrate the Lunar New Year by making beautiful New Year couplets and Zodiac animal paper cutting crafts.
• Ages: 4-7-year-olds
• Sign up here

Mulan's Lunar New Year - Read and Craft!

• In this class, students will listen to the story "Mulan's Lunar New Year" by Natasha Yim, and then complete a simple activity to celebrate the Chinese Spring Festival!
• Ages: 6-10-year-olds
• Sign up here
  

Chinese New Year Read Aloud and Lantern Craft

• In this one-time course, students will listen to a read-aloud and engage in an arts and crafts activity.
• Ages: 7-9-year-olds
• Sign up here

American Girl Chinese New Year Celebration 2022 with Corinne and Gywn

• We will learn about the Chinese New Year through an interactive Nearpod accompanied by a watercolor painting of a Tiger.
• Ages: 9-13-year-olds
• Sign up here

Chinese New Year Festival

• Let’s go learn about the Chinese New Year Festival! Children learn through interactive virtual learning tools, authentic clothing, educational objects, and lots of group discussion bring this celebration to life.
• Ages: 8-10-year-olds
• Sign up here

Chinese New Year: Let's make an origami tiger red envelope!

• In this one-time class, learners will make a tiger red envelope while learning some fun facts about Chinese New Year as well as some words, sayings, and greetings.
• Ages: 8-13-year-olds
• Sign up here

Introduction to Chinese Culture

• In this class, we will learn Chinese history, Chinese geography, Chinese language, Chinese arts, Chinese music, and Chinese food.
• 8-13-year-olds
• Sign up here

Learning Chinese & Math From Yummy Chinese Food: Pre-K and Kindergarten Chinese

• 1) Learning basic Chinese vocabularies from yummy Chinese food, for example, "包子” and "饺子“ 2) Counting at least five numbers in English and Chinese in each class 3) Adding and Subtracting using cute pictures of Chinese food.
• 4-7-year-olds
• Sign up here

8 Fun Facts About Lunar New Year

1. Daily traditions. On the first day of the new year, superstition says you should avoid taking out the trash, shampooing your hair, or cleaning. That way, you don’t “wash away” good luck and prosperity for the year ahead. On the second day, you spend time with family. But since the third day is seen as “a day prone to arguments,” you avoid socializing.
   
2. Your sweet tooth is in luck. Treats are encouraged during the celebration because they’re thought to “sweeten” the year ahead.
   
3. Beware the dragon monster. The legend goes that Nian, the monster/dragon, comes out of hiding on New Year's Eve. While everyone hid at home, one lone courageous lad fought him off with firecrackers. This tale is one of the reasons fireworks are now a vital part of the holiday.
   
4. Wild tendencies. Since each year has an animal associated with it, the folklore is that people born that year will inherit some of that animal’s personality traits.
   
5. You’ll see red. Red is considered a lucky color in China, so you’ll see it everywhere during the new year celebration. Including red gift envelopes full of money given to children, red decorations, and red lanterns.
   
6. It’s the ultimate fireworks show. Several tons of fireworks are lit in China at midnight to begin the new year. No other country lights as many fireworks in a single hour.
   
7. Follow the moon. Because the holiday is tied to the lunar calendar, the date changes every year.
   
8. You better be at Reunion Dinner. Tradition dictates that everyone goes home for dinner on Chinese New Year's Eve. This big feast is known as Reunion Dinner. It’s a meal set aside especially for spending time with family and commemorating the previous year.

One of our favorite things about our online classes is they help widen your child’s world. As one parent put it, their favorite thing about Outschool was the “Diversity in classes. We live in a white, upper-class, conservative area. My kids’ education is very biased. I’m able to expose them to wider perspectives through Outschool.”

We’re so grateful for our incredible instructors who make that happen. We hope your family gets a chance to learn about all the different ways people celebrate and the traditions that make their holidays unique. May the Year of the Tiger bring you days full of wonder.

Find more fun online cultural classes here.