Lunar New Year is traditionally celebrated over many days and is a time for renewal, gathering, and cultural connection. At St. Michaels University School, moments like these are part of a broader commitment to honouring the many cultures and traditions represented within our community. In that same spirit, Lunar New Year unfolded across multiple days and across the Junior, Middle, and Senior School, offering students meaningful opportunities to experience culture through learning, participation, and shared celebration.
In Mandarin classes, Senior School students brought the celebration to life through the hands-on tradition of dumpling-making. Moving beyond vocabulary and textbooks, they engaged directly with culture through doing — shaping dumplings that symbolize prosperity and good fortune, practicing New Year greetings and wishes in Mandarin, and sharing in the joy of receiving traditional lucky red envelopes. For some, the learning extended beyond campus with a visit to Vancouver’s Chinatown and Richmond City, where language, food, and everyday cultural experiences deepened their connection to tradition in real-world settings.
Music also played a role in the celebration as Middle School students gathered for a shared Lunar New Year chapel featuring a performance by Grade 7 student Bruce T. on the guzheng, a traditional Chinese string instrument with a history spanning more than 2,000 years. Through the flowing sounds of traditional music, students experienced how culture can be expressed not only through words and customs, but through sound, storytelling, and artistic tradition passed down across generations.
The Junior School marked the occasion with a special Community Time assembly that brought together students, faculty, and parents. Students helped lead readings and celebrations while dressed in cultural attire, with vibrant red and gold colours filling the space in a joyful expression of tradition and community.
Later in the week, the celebration came full circle when students from the Senior School Mandarin classes spent an afternoon sharing their Lunar New Year learning with their younger peers. Working in small groups, the senior students designed, prepared, and led hands-on cultural activities including from crafting paper lanterns and horses to shaping Play-Doh dumplings.
One group shared the tradition and meaning behind red envelopes, guiding students through the customs of giving and receiving while offering gold chocolate coins inside. Along the way, they taught their younger counterparts how to say “Happy New Year” and welcome the Year of the Horse in Mandarin, creating a meaningful moment of leadership, mentorship, and shared cultural experience across the school.
Across classrooms and campuses, Lunar New Year at SMUS was not just observed, but experienced — one of many moments throughout the year where students come together to learn from and celebrate the diverse cultures that shape and enrich our global community.
