Bedford Village Third Graders Celebrate Lunar New Year
“Woah, why does it smell so good in here?” a Bedford Village Elementary School third grader asked as he and his peers (who were all dressed in red) filed into the Village Room. The room was decorated with red tablecloths and place settings for Lunar New Year. The smell? Spring rolls and dumplings brought in by the Bedford Village Elementary School Association (BVESA).
“In third grade we’re going to study Chinese culture,” third grade teacher Nicole Meinel explained. “The Lunar New Year is one of the most important celebrations in China. It lasts for two weeks and ends with a lantern festival.”
After explaining a bit more about the celebration, Meinel had a question for students.
“Why are we wearing red?”
“Red is a lucky color,” a student answered.
“Also, the red scares away bad spirits,” another added.
Meinel also noted that the color is a symbol of joy and good fortune.
The students watched a video about Lunar New Year, during which they learned about customs like children receiving red envelopes and some of the foods that are usually eaten during celebrations. At the end of the lesson, students got to taste some of the popular foods for themselves — an announcement which was greeted with cheers.
“The food is so good!” one student exclaimed.
“What’s inside the spring roll?” another asked.
“This is a challenge,” said a third student, who was trying to figure out chopsticks.
Many of the students had eaten the foods before, but most who hadn’t gave them a try.
“I like dumplings,” said Kate Camardella, who was eating them for the first time. “It kind of tastes like a chicken nugget but in dough.”
“My parents order Chinese a lot, so I know how to use chopsticks really well,” Felicity Sellberg said.
After eating, students had a fantastic time making red paper lanterns, practicing writing their names in Chinese characters and solving tangram puzzles. They ended their celebrations with a parade through the halls.
- BVES