Chinese New Year Research Homework (possibly for the ER video lesson)

The following sets of questions can be given as homework. They require students to conduct an on-line research and answer different questions regarding the Chinese New Year celebrations. This can be given as a follow-up homework after any New Year or China themed lesson, but it works particularly well with our Chinese New Year video lesson from the ER pack.

In the following paragraphs you will find the questions as well as online resources.


Write a one-paragraph answer per question:

Activity 1: The Chinese calendar

1. Is the Chinese calendar solar or lunar? How many months are in the Chinese calendar?
2. Why is each year in the Chinese calendar named after an animal?
3. Find out two personality characteristics for each Chinese sign (e.g. horse: intelligent, friendly).
4. Find the sign to match your year of birth. Does your personality match the description of your Chinese sign?

Chinese Calendar presentation
Chinese New Year Calendar
Chinese Zodiac

Activity 2: The celebration

1. There are 15 days of celebration. How is each day celebrated?
2. There are various taboos and superstitions about Chinese New Year. Describe two of them.
3. What is the history of the celebration? How did the different customs begin?
4. Why should you not use knives or scissors on Chinese New Year's Day?

15 day celebration of Chinese New Year
The history of Chinese New YearTaboos and superstitions of Chinese New Year

Activity 3: Traditional food

1. What is jai and what do each of its ingredients symbolize?
2. Which three items symbolize prosperity?
3. Why do people eat fish during the Chinese New Year?
4. What is a typical dinner menu for four people?

Chinese food and menus
Traditional New Year foods

Activity 4: Decorations

1. How are living rooms decorated and what do each of the decorations symbolize?
2. When were Yanliuqing paintings first introduced? What do they look like?
3. According to the Chinese, what do peanuts symbolize?
4. What are Spring Couplets? What do people do with them?

Chinese New Year Graphics
Chinese New Year decorations
Spring Couplets

Source: OneStopEnglish