Lunar New Year 2024: Welcome the Year of the Dragon with ELFA Preschool!

As we welcome the Lunar New Year, ELFA has left no stone unturned to create a festive and culturally enriching atmosphere for our children. ELFA embraces cultural diversity, and the Lunar New Year holds special importance in our Chinese community, signifying a meaningful celebration for us. From lion dances to writing out fortune characters, and tossing “Lo Hei”, ELFA had a fantastic time ushering in the year of the dragon.

Lion Dances

ELFA Preschool @ Hougang, ELFA Chinese Preschool @ Pandan Valley, and ELFA Preschool @ Tampines organised lion dance performances in their schools. The lion dance holds cultural, symbolic, and communal significance to Chinese traditions and celebrations. For a start, the lion is considered a symbol of good luck, fortune and prosperity. Furthermore, the loud drums and cymbals, and the vibrant performances are also considered to bring in positive energy and ward off negativity.

Our children had a fun time performing lion dances together and experiencing the traditional culture of the lion dance.

Fortune Characters Calligraphy

The children of ELFA Chinese Preschool @ Pandan Valley and ELFA Preschool @ Tampines showcased their artistic skills, using traditional Chinese Calligraphy to write fortune characters and well wishes. The children of ELFA Preschool @ Hougang wrote out fortune characters too, albeit with a twist. They made use of orange peels to craft out their fortune characters.

In Chinese culture, fortune characters represent positive attributes such as luck, prosperity, and happiness. The characters are also seen as a symbol of fresh starts and prosperous beginnings for the new year.

Our children put on their designer hats and had a ball of a time putting together their fortune characters.

Exchanging Oranges and Tossing “Lo Hei”

Children of ELFA Preschool @ Hougang had the chance to exchange oranges with their friends. Exchanging oranges is a significant practice in Chinese culture. The golden colour of oranges is associated with positive energy and good luck. Giving oranges is seen as a sign of positive wishes for the receiver, fostering respect, graciousness and connection between giver and receiver.

Children of ELFA Chinese Preschool @ Pandan Valley and ELFA Preschool @ Tampines had an amazing experience tossing “Lo Hei” with their friends and educators. “Lo Hei”, a traditional Lunar New Year salad carries much cultural significance among the Chinese community. Firstly, the ingredients in the salad are believed to be a symbol of fortune and abundance. Tossing “Lo Hei” is also seen as an act of wishing for good luck for all involved. Lastly, it is also seen as a community activity, bringing people closer together.

Through the activities above, the children of ELFA experienced the atmosphere of the Lunar New Year and had a blast with their friends. They were also able to learn more about the significance of different activities done during the Lunar New Year. We would like to thank our children and educators for creating a festive Lunar New Year spirit in ELFA. Till we see you again for the next Lunar New Year celebrations!