English words to Teach around the Chinese New Year

by Abdul Rehman

Last Updated on March 26, 2024 by Faisal Khan

The Chinese New Year, or the Lunar New Year, is one of China’s most important festivals. It’s a festival held to bring families together during the official public holiday week set to celebrate the Chinese New Year. China New Year is a significant holiday celebration involving lots of excitement, family gatherings, eating lots of food, and incredible open-air markets selling many decoration items and Chinese dishes. If you are looking for various ESL jobs in China during the Lunar New Year, you will be surprised by the kind of celebrations and activities during this period and will learn a lot about Chinese culture. Below are some English words to teach about the Chinese New Year to welcome this wonderful celebration season.

  • Dragon dance

The dragon dance is a significant English word and phrase to teach around the Chinese New Year. This English word stands for wealth, wisdom, power, and best wishes or luck. The Chinese dragons are an important part of the Chinese traditional heritage and culture. It’s vital to remember to showcase the history of Chinese culture by teaching about dragon dance to learners in schools. The dragon dance is performed cheerfully during the Chinese New Year festival, and it’s believed the longer the dance lasts, the more luck and prosperity come to the people living in the community.

The dragon dancers dance in distinct ways, wearing attires of different colors with their meanings. A green costume represents a great harvest; yellow symbolizes respect for the empire; silver or gold represents prosperity, while red color is used to create a sense of excitement and welcome good fortune.

  • Lantern

One of the English words to teach around the Chinese New Year or the Lunar New Year is the lantern. Lantern celebration is an ancient Chinese New Year tradition with lanterns released into the sky. The release of the lanterns in the sky symbolizes forgetting about the past to welcome new tidings and objectives for the New Year. Lanterns are essential and valued since they represent national pride in China and are mostly used for decorations in public places and homes. Teaching this word to students in ib schools and students in China will help acknowledge the modernity and history of China. 

  • Firecrackers and fireworks

Learning about the meaning of firecrackers and fireworks is an incredible way of welcoming the Chinese New Year when teaching English in China. The Chinese set up the firecrackers while wearing pretty and attractive traditional clothes like yan wang qipao. When the firecrackers and fireworks are released, they leave behind a thick some, shaking buildings and producing loud noises. This activity is done mainly to celebrate the happiness and joy of welcoming and ushering in the New Year. Teachers searching for ESL jobs in China and other opportunities will experience the celebration of the fireworks event and learn more about the activities in this celebration.

  • Dumplings

Another word to teach around the Chinese New Year is dumplings which represent or symbolize family reunions and getting together. Families spend time together in the New Year while preparing and making dumplings before having the meal together at midnight. They are prepared to showcase a sign of success and prosperity since their shape and outlook are similar to the ancient Chinese money. Expats searching for teaching English in China opportunities can enjoy dumplings and other ancient Chinese dishes while spending their time in China.

Apart from the high teach English in China salary, you can get many other benefits from landing a teaching job in China, including free accommodation offered by the schools and an extensive range of travel opportunities. Celebrating the Chinese New Year and learning from the activities and traditions of this festival provides an opportunity to know about the rich Chinese cultural heritage and traditions.

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