Ahead of the winter recess, Baldwin school district celebrated the Lunar New Year throughout its elementary schools with a variety of interactive and educational events, allowing students to learn about the annual holiday and its cultural significance.
Lunar New Year, a celebration marking the arrival of spring and the start of the new year on the lunisolar calendar, is the most important holiday in China. It is also widely celebrated in South Korea, Vietnam, and nations with large overseas Chinese populations. While the official dates of the holiday vary by culture, it is universally seen as a time to reunite with family, both immediate and extended.
In China, the holiday is commonly known as the Spring Festival and spans 15 days, featuring a variety of traditional customs and festivities.
In Sept. 2023, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into legislature making Asian Lunar New Year an official holiday for public schools. However, last year, the holiday fell on a Saturday and students did not get an additional day off.
So for members of the Meadow PTA, they knew they wanted to make this year’s celebration extra special.
The school-wide celebration included a series of cultural performances and students were introduced to the Lunar New Year celebrations of multiple cultures, including the Chinese, Korean, and Cambodian traditions. An assembly featured a Chinese lion dance and a Korean fan dance, allowing students to explore the cultural practices associated with the holiday.
Students also learned how to say “Happy New Year” in Korean, Mandarin and Cambodian. In preparation, classrooms read books about the holiday and created crafts to welcome the “Year of the Wood Snake.”
The event was organized by Meadow’s PTA, parents Helen Suh Singson, Sophea Sainsurin, Sandy Singh, teachers, and performers.
Meadow school alum Singson (who Co-Chairs the school's multicultural festival and Chairs the parent advisory committee) told the Herald she wanted to share the significance of the new year celebrated by many Asian cultures and communities. Her family celebrates Korean Lunar New Year.
“Meadow students really had a wonderful opportunity to engage with Lunar New Year traditions,” Singson said. “Experiences like these foster an appreciation for cultural diversity and illuminate the beauty of global traditions.”
Her daughter, Sofia, 8, joined her mother in the assembly, performing sebae, a traditional deep bow in which a younger person shows respect to elders by kneeling and bowing deeply to receive blessings and well wishes for the new year.
Singson is also the mother of 10-year-old Ethan. In their family, celebrating the cultural heritage of both sides is important, as her husband, Ryan, is Filipino American, and sharing it with the community is especially meaningful.
PTA Co-President and Chair for School of Excellence, Sophea Sainsurin shared her vision behind the initiative.
“Our priority this year has been centered around fostering a sense of belonging, building a community that values diversity, and ensuring that our efforts align with Arts in Education,” she wrote to the Herald. “One of the key pillars of this initiative was the creation of a Parent Advisory Board, along with offering cultural assemblies and enrichment programs that celebrate the many traditions within our school community.”
“We wanted to create an engaging and educational experience,” she continued, “and it was incredible to see the students’ excitement and curiosity.”
For Sainsurin, the event was deeply personal. As a Cambodian American, it was meaningful for her to participate and contribute to the cultural representation at the school, especially with her daughter, Sothanee Sainsurin, attending and showcasing her nationality during the assembly.
At Brookside Elementary School, students wore red clothing, symbolizing good fortune and protection from evil spirits.
Steele Elementary School’s marked the occasion with a math activity that incorporated Lunar New Year themes. Students created representations of a lion dancer using pattern blocks, applying their math skills to calculate the total value of their creations. The activity also included videos, songs, and discussions about the holiday
In addition, second graders in Nancy Aquino’s class made lanterns, which symbolize people letting go of the past and welcoming the new year with good fortune. Additionally, students received red envelopes, a gesture symbolizing luck and prosperity.
Lenox Elementary School hosted a virtual visit from author Mei Li, who introduced her books highlighting her Chinese cultural heritage. Li’s interactive session promoted social-emotional learning and encouraged students to reflect on the importance of collaboration and cultural appreciation.
“Events like this help ensure that all students feel seen, valued, and celebrated, while also giving everyone an opportunity to learn about traditions outside their own,” Sainsurin stated. “It’s a meaningful way to promote understanding, unity, and a shared sense of belonging in our school community.”
