My husband is a fan of Chinese literature, music and arts. He also has been studying Chinese language for two years. Quite a lot of this has trickled down to our children. Having a new year's celebration was the perfect addition to their education, to round out some of what they know. Homeschooling peeps might refer to it as a 'unit study'.
When did the children begin their Chinese study? I couldn't say. Maybe with their first trips to San Francisco's Chinatown when each was an infant.
Even if you haven't been exposing your children to another culture, but would like to, celebrations are a great way to do it. To prepare for the party we did some research of traditional Chinese new year's celebrations. We explored their zodiac, created decorations, shopped for foods, and attended a lion dance. The party was created for everyone to celebrate together- adults and children. We didn't "dumb it down" for the kiddos or try to create sophistication for the grown ups.
Now that the party is over and we don't have that planning to fuel our 'research' is the study over? Not by a long shot and I hope it never will be.
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