As my class and I sat together in a community circle to take part in our calendar/weather routine, a student asked the following question: "Why is the calendar in our class different from the one on my fridge?". This was an excellent question, which quickly sparked a discussion about different New Year's in various cultures/traditions.
The student inquiring about the class calendar is celebrating the Chinese New Year tomorrow. The students and I acknowledge that New Year is the time at which a new calendar begins. The calendar we have in class (used in most parts of the world) is called the Gregorian calendar, which falls on the 1st of January.
We discussed that it is important to note that not all cultures follow the Gregorian calendar in observing New Year celebrations. For example the New Year in the Hindu, Chinese, Coptic, Jewish, Islamic calendars differ to that of the Gregorian calendar.
Happy Chinese New Year! Bonne annee chinoise! Gong Hay Fat Choy!
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