Activities to explore Lunar New Year traditions and sweet treats

Difficulty: Explorer (Level 1)

Lunar New Year celebrates the beginning of spring. It is the most important holiday in China, South Korea, Vietnam and some other Asian countries. Places with a large Chinese population also celebrate the festival.

Families decorate their windows with red paper decorations. They also hang up good wishes for the new year on their doors. It is traditional to shop for holiday goods in open-air markets. People also clean their homes before the holiday. The Lunar New Year’s Eve feast includes dishes that bring good luck and fortune.

Tanghulu is not a traditional treat for the new year. But its brightly-coloured fruits can be a fun and special way to celebrate. You can also try making a red and gold fan to “blow” good luck into your home. Decorate it with your wish for the new year.

Paper plate hand fans

Photo: Handout

Materials

• paper plate

• scissors

• black marker

• red and gold paint

• paintbrush

• popsicle sticks

• glue

Instructions

1. Cut a paper plate in half. Draw a small half circle in the centre of the straight edge of the plate.

2. Paint each half with the red and gold paint. You can add a wish for luck in the new year.

3. Paint two jumbo popsicle sticks for each fan. Set everything aside to dry.

4. Glue the popsicle sticks to the fans. Let them sit until they are completely dry.

Tanghulu recipe

Photo: Instagram/@eat_time_food

Ingredients

• fruits (strawberries, grapes and orange slices)

• bamboo skewers

• 2 cups of granulated sugar

• 1 cup of water

• a pan

• parchment paper

Instructions

1. Wash and dry the fruits thoroughly.

2. Put three or four fruit pieces on each skewer. It can be all the same type or a mix of fruits.

3. With the help of an adult, add sugar and water to a pan and heat on medium-high heat. Gently shake the pan if you need to flatten the sugar. Once the sugar has mostly dissolved, lower the heat to medium.

4. Let the sugar syrup cook for another five to 10 minutes. Dip your spoon in the mixture and then into the ice-cold water. If it hardens, it’s ready. Take the pan off the heat quickly.

5. Quickly dip the fruit skewers into the pan and roll them in syrup. Gently shake the skewers to let the extra syrup drip off. Place the coated fruit on a piece of parchment paper to dry. Repeat with the remaining skewers.