January 25, 2025
Preschoolers learn Chinese culture while celebrating the Lunar New Year
By Joy Rojas
Fun, family-oriented activities marked Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool Philippines’ advance celebration of Chinese New Year on January 24 at the preschool in Agno Street, Quezon City.
Dressed in colorful Chinese attire, the youngsters were joined by their parents in a morning of interactive games and presentations. They made glutinous rice balls (or tang yuan, which symbolize prosperity and strong family ties), answered as many questions as they could in a trivia game about Chinese New Year, and performed a lion dance wearing the lion headdress they each created. Professional lion dancers later staged their own version, allowing students to gift them with tokens of luck like fresh oranges and angpao (red envelope).
Noting how everyone had just welcomed 2025 a few weeks ago, Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool Philippines Directress Jane Sy still saw the value of another new year’s celebration. “In the end, [we wanted to let] the kids experience Chinese culture, which is [just as] important as basic academics,” she says.
“That’s why we had them make tang yuan and let them sing and dance to Chinese songs,” adds Teacher Beniliza Polican. “Of course, there was also the lion dance, which is what they really expect from a Chinese New Year celebration.”
Ingraining children with these practices, Sy and Polican believe, ensures that commemorating the auspicious day will continue for generations.
Christopher Ong, father of Aleksia, agrees. “I think it's a good start that they teach the Chinese culture to our children, so that in the future, they could also share them with their family and relatives,” he says. For his part, Ong prepared his daughter for her first time to see a live lion dance by having her view a performance on YouTube. Despite Aleksia being overwhelmed by the loud banging of drums, crashing cymbals, and the livewire moves of lion dancers, “it was still a wonderful experience,” says her father. “It was a memorable experience for us.”
Irish Chloe Yu approves of how the preschool values tradition as much as it does academics. “Especially for the younger generation, who’s not used to it,” says Yu, mother to preschooler Hugo Miguel. “It opened my mind that [Chinese New Year] is really one of the special events of families. Even if it's just a simple celebration, Tzu Chi was able to give time to welcome the New Year.”
Tzu Chi Philippines continues its Chinese New Year festivities on January 28, when the Jing Si Abode at Buddhist Tzu Chi Campus (BTCC) in Sta. Mesa, Manila, will be open from 10 pm till 1 am to accommodate visitors who wish to welcome the Year of the Wood Snake with prayer, the lighting of candles, and the offering of flowers.
At 6 am on January 29, a traditional 3-steps-1-bow walking meditation ceremony will be held on the grounds of BTCC, followed by a breakfast of dim sum and noodles at Harmony Hall, and the turnover of coin can donations. Those who prefer to mark the day in solemnity and silence may spend the morning in prayer from 8 am to 12 noon at Tzu Chi’s Agno Street branch.
![For Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool Philippines Directress Jane Sy, the purpose of celebrating Chinese New Year “is to let the kids experience Chinese culture, which is [just as] important as basic academics.”](/assets/news-page/images/1-v54.jpg)
For Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool Philippines Directress Jane Sy, the purpose of celebrating Chinese New Year “is to let the kids experience Chinese culture, which is [just as] important as basic academics.”
Preschoolers show up sporting their best Chinese attire.
Preschoolers show up sporting their best Chinese attire.
Preschoolers show up sporting their best Chinese attire.
Preschoolers show up sporting their best Chinese attire.
Preschoolers show up sporting their best Chinese attire.
Preschoolers paint their own red scrolls bearing positive messages for the Year of the Wood Snake.
Creating glutinous rice balls (tang yuan) was an activity that encouraged a preschooler to participate and bond with his parents. The sticky balls are a symbol of prosperity and strong family ties.
Creating glutinous rice balls (tang yuan) was an activity that encouraged a preschooler to participate and bond with his parents. The sticky balls are a symbol of prosperity and strong family ties.
Creating glutinous rice balls (tang yuan) was an activity that encouraged a preschooler to participate and bond with his parents. The sticky balls are a symbol of prosperity and strong family ties.
Christopher Ong looks on as his daughter Aleksia attempts to make glutinous rice balls with help from Mom Marjorie.
Looks like the parents had as much fun making glutinous rice balls as their kids.
Preschoolers try their hand at lion dancing using the lion headdresses they made themselves.
Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool Philippines Directress Jane Sy presents each preschooler with a token.
Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool Philippines Directress Jane Sy presents each preschooler with a token.
Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool Philippines Directress Jane Sy presents each preschooler with a token.
Families whip out their cell phones to take a picture of lion dancers paying their respects to Buddha.
A preschooler presents a lion dancer with a fresh orange and angpao (red envelope), two symbols of luck.
Father and son enjoy the colorful lion dance performance.
A preschooler caps the Chinese New Year celebration with a picture next to the lion dancers’ headdresses.
A preschooler caps the Chinese New Year celebration with a picture next to the lion dancers’ headdresses.
Preschoolers, their parents, and teachers gather for a group shot following a successful celebration and learning experience of Chinese New Year and culture.