The Year of the Dragon 2024

Lunar New Year is celebrated in many Asian countries like China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, Vietnam, and some other countries in Asia. Chinese New Year is often used synonymously with Lunar New Year; it is celebrated in China and many Chinese communities outside of China.

During this festival, which usually takes place in January or February, people welcome the new year by ushering in the year of the zodiac animal. This year, it is the Year of the Dragon. Many traditions and customs are observed: visiting relatives, wearing new clothes, saying auspicious words, etc. Red is the color of this festival; so you will see items like red packets containing money, red lanterns and other decorations. In the Chinese New Year, the festivities span 15 days and culminates in the Lantern Festival on Yuan Xiao Jie, which is the Chinese Valentine’s Day.

You can bring an air of festivities to your classroom with any of these products by my fellow-TPT sellers and myself.

Just click on the images and they will bring you to these amazing products.

Northern Classroom 

Clementine’s

Paradise Creations

Mrs H’s Speech Therapy Room

Pre-K Dots

CreativeCOTA LLC

The Learning Sherpa

The Viral Teacher

Pagecraft ELA

Classroom Base Camp

Gail Hennessey

Tom’s Talk

Note: I am just doing a feature of products and have not personally reviewed these products. I am not paid in any way by the above sellers to do this feature. For product enquiries, please contact the sellers directly.

Here are some of my products which you might be interested:

I hope you will find these products helpful in your classroom or homeschool.

Wishing all a Prosperous Lunar New Year! Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Winter Holidays – Teaching Resources

As the year draws to a close, there are so many holidays and festivals across the various traditions and cultures.

Winter’s coldness makes people desire for warmth, light and togetherness. During this season, growth is slow, trees stand barren of foliage and some animals go into hibernation. Thus, it is not surprising that many of the festivities center around light, hope and the coming together as a family and community.

As we celebrate the winter holidays, here are some Winter Holidays resources in my TPT store that I would like to share with you:

Hanukkah is usually celebrated in December. Its date changes as it follows the Jewish calendar. The Hanukkah Menorah is of great significance as every day for 8 days people will gather around it to light candles. Take a look at this bundle here that contains craft, coloring pages and fact sheets.

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Dongzhi or Winter Solstice Festival is celebrated on 21 or 22 December each year. Chinese communities around the world will eat glutinous rice balls on this day. The roundness of this food symbolizes togetherness.

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Christmas, celebrated on 25 December, is the birthday of Jesus. This Nativity Scene Builder is a great activity to get your students into action for Christmas. Students can work in groups to create the Nativity Scene.

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Christmas also sees Santa in the picture. He is actually St Nicholas who liked to give presents to children. Get students to write letters to Santa in this differentiated learning activity which caters to the emergent, proficient and advanced students.

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Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26 to January 1. Started in 1966, Kwanzaa honors the African American heritage and culture. There is also the lighting of candles in this festival. Doesn’t it make you think of Hanukkah too? What about looking at their similarities and differences?

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Enjoy the winter holidays!

12 TPT Products for Christmas 2023

Hi Everyone,

I believe you are getting busy and excited about Christmas.

Here’s featuring 12 Christmas products by dedicated and talented fellow-TPT sellers for the festive season:

Tea4Teacher

Mrs Wates Teaching Creations

A Cloud Full of Learning

June Shanahan Dog-On-It Designs

Teacher in the Rye

Dr Jans Math and Science Lab

ESL with Jannah

Science and STEAM Team

Sunshine and Jellybeans

CreativeCOTA LLC

KinderBeez

That Rocks Math Science and ELA

Please click on the cover pictures and they will bring you to the product page on TPT.

Note: I am just doing a feature of the above Christmas products and have not personally reviewed them. I am not paid in any way by the above sellers to do this feature. For product enquiries, please contact the sellers directly.

I hope these products are helpful in your classroom or homeschool. If you are in the shopping mood and looking for more, do take a look at the Christmas products at my TPT store!

To add to the festive joy, I have a Christmas gift for you when you sign up for my newsletter.

Wishing you a Blessed and Merry Christmas!

Holy Week and Easter

As we journey toward Holy Week and Easter, here is the sequence of events:

Palm Sunday: Jesus entered Jerusalem gloriously on a donkey amongst shouts of ‘Hosanna!’ by the people. People waved palms to welcome him.

Holy Monday: Jesus chased the money-changers out of the temple. He wanted the place of worship to be kept holy.

Holy Tuesday: Jesus was questioned by the elders and chief priests at the temple. However, He confidently answered their questions.

Holy Wednesday: The chief priests bribed Judas to betray Jesus with thirty pieces of silver.

Maundy Thursday: Jesus washed His disciples’ feet and ate the Last Supper with them. He was praying at the garden at Gethsemane before He was arrested.

Good Friday: Jesus was tried, condemned and sentenced to death. He was crucified with two thieves at Golgotha.

Holy Saturday: Jesus was hastily laid in the tomb as Sabbath, a holy day of the Jews, was approaching. Soldiers guarded the tomb.

Easter Sunday: When Mary Magdalene and some of Jesus’ disciples visited the tomb, they found that Jesus was not there. Jesus had risen gloriously from the dead.

If you are looking for teaching resources for Holy Week and Easter, please take a look here:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Annes-Schoolhouse/Search:Easter

You will be able to find activities for matching and drawing, storyboard, Easter Egg designing, coloring pages, reflection journal, gift tags and more!

The Twelve Days of Christmas

The twelve days of Christmas refers to the period between Christmas (December 25) and Epiphany (January 6). I am sure many of you have heard the Christmas carol‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’. Do you know the hidden meanings and symbols in this song?

Here is the list to decode the hidden meanings:

The First Day of Christmas
A Partridge in a Pear Tree – The partridge represents Jesus, the Son of God. The mother partridge is known to sacrifice herself to protect her young; Jesus sacrificed himself to save the world.

The Second Day of Christmas
Two Turtle Doves -The doves represent the Old and New Testaments, the two books of the Holy Bible.

The Third Day of Christmas
Three French Hens – These birds represented faith, hope and love as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13.

The Fourth Day of Christmas
Four Calling Birds – These fowls represent the four Gospels written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

The Fifth Day of Christmas
Five Golden Rings – These rings represent the first five books of the Old Testament, known as the Pentateuch: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

The Sixth Day of Christmas
Six Geese A-Laying – In Genesis, God took six days to create the world. The six geese laying eggs refer to the creation story.

The Seventh Day of Christmas
Seven Swans A-Swimming – The beauty and grace of the swans aptly represent the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading and compassion.

The Eighth Day of Christmas
Eight Maids A-Milking – The milkmaids represent the eight Beatitudes, where Jesus preached that blessed are those who are: poor in spirit, the meek, those who mourn, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers and those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.

The Ninth Day of Christmas
Nine Ladies Dancing -These nine dancers represent the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

The Tenth Day of Christmas
Ten Lords A-Leaping – The lords represent the Ten Commandments, brought down by Moses after he encountered God at Mount Sinai.

The Eleventh Day of Christmas
Eleven Pipers Piping – These pipers represent the eleven faithful apostles: Peter, James, John, Andrew, Phillip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James, Jude, and Simon. Though Jesus had twelve disciples, Judas is excluded because he betrayed Jesus.

The Twelfth Day of Christmas
Twelve Drummers Drumming – The drummers represent the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day, he rose again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.”

So the next time you hear this Christmas carol, appreciate the truths and beauty of all the symbols.

Have a Joyous and Blessed Christmas!

P.S. If you are looking for resources for Christmas, here is a curated collection.

Mid-Autumn Moon Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th month in the Chinese lunar calendar. It is a moveable date on the Gregorian calendar and usually celebrated between early September and early October.

Originally celebrated to give thanks for the bountiful harvests, this traditional festival has a history of 3000 years in China. Many Chinese communities in Asia and around the world also celebrate this festival. It is also known as Mooncake Festival, Moon Festival or the Lantern Festival. In South Korea, the festival is known as Chuseok. In Japan, it is called Tsukimi. The Vietnamese called it Tết Trung Thu.

The highlights of the Mid-Autumn Festival are eating mooncakes, lighting and displaying lanterns and guessing riddles attached to the lanterns. It is an occasion when families gather and admire the moon together. You will find a full moon brighter on this day.

Mooncakes are eaten on this special occasion. The roundness of the mooncakes symbolizes fullness, happiness and union of the family. Traditionally, these cakes are filled with bean paste or lotus seed paste, nuts and egg yolks. The crust is made of flour and has Chinese motifs and characters. However, modern versions of the cake come in a variety of flavours and types; there are some filled with ice cream and chocolate, and they come with flakey or chewy crusts.

The most famous legend of the Mid-Autumn Festival is that of Chang Er swallowing the pill of immortality and floated to the moon. Chang Er was the kind and beautiful wife of Hou Yi, the heroic archer who shot down nine suns to end the harsh period of extreme drought in China. As a reward, Hou Yi was given the elixir of life by the Jade Emperor. Reluctant to part with this beloved wife, Hou Yi chose not to eat the pill. He passed the pill to Chang Er for safekeeping.

One of Hou Yi’s disciples, Peng Meng, wanted the elixir pill to attain immortality. When Hou Yi was away from home one day, he broke into Hou Yi’s house to steal it. Chang Er tried to prevent Peng Meng from taking the pill. When he persisted, she hastily swallowed the pill instead. In the next instance, found herself floating into the sky.

When Hou Yi returned and knew what had happened to Chang Er, he was very sad. To honor his memory of Chang Er, he set up a table with her favorite cakes, fruits and some candles to offer to her in the distant moon. When other people heard about this, they too offer cakes and fruits to remember Chang Er. Later, Chang Er’s favorite cake became known as mooncake and people started to revere her as the Moon Goddess.

If you are looking for Mid-Autumn Festival, do visit my TpT store, there is a packaged bundle featuring learning cards, posters and activities.

Have a lovely Mid-Autumn Festival!

Choosing Your Word of the Year

Do you have a Word of the Year to steer you in the new year?

I urge you to choose a word that will encapsulate your intentions, dreams and aspirations to help you live this year purposefully and meaningfully.

Just one word that will become a mantra or reminder to help you strive for the best and achieve your goals.

Choosing a word is highly personal. Thus, I would encourage you to spend some time reflecting on your vision and goals for this year first. When you have identified certain recurring words and themes, your Word of the Year will naturally surface.

Next, ask your self why you have chosen this word and think about how you are going to live out your Word of the Year in the various areas of your life such as self, home, work, community, etc. 

Keep this word in your heart and mind! If you wish, display it prominently to remind yourself. You will find it a great encouragement and motivation to help you lead your life purposefully.

Here are some resources that might help you and your students as you choose your Word of the Year:

• My Word of the Year

• Word of the Year Bookmarks(Set 1)

• Word of the Year Bookmarks(Set 2)

The Symbols of the Hanukkah Story

Hanukkah Menorah

A Hanukkah menorah or hannukiah is usually lit with candles these days, though the more traditional way to light it is with olive oil. It is the most famous symbol of Hanukkah; families gather around it to light the candles together. It is used to remember the menorah that stood in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem 2000 years ago. While the hannukiah has nine branches, the Temple menorah has seven branches. The eight side branches of the hannukiah symbolize the eight days that the oil miraculously burned in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, as well as the eight days of Hanukkah.

Dreidel

The dreidel is a spinning top with four sides, each with a different Hebrew letter. The letters create an acronym for the phrase ‘A great miracle happened there.’ (Nes Gadol Haya Sham), with reference to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. As Jewish learning was prohibited during the Seleucid (Syrian-Greek Empire) rule of the Holy Land, the Jews had to study the Torah secretly. They usually hid their scrolls quickly when the Syrian-Greek soldiers approached and took out their dreidels to play instead.

Latke and Sufganiyah Jelly Doughnut

Fried foods are eaten on Hanukkah to remember the miracle of the oil in the Holy Temple. Latke is a fried potato pancake, while sufganiyah is a deep-fried doughnut filled with jam or custard and topped with powdered sugar.

Hanukkah gelt

Hanukkah gelt means ‘Hanukkah money’. Children often receive chocolate coins as gifts on each night of Hanukkah, though often other gifts or real money are also given. When playing dreidel, chocolate coins are usually used too.

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These symbols will definitely help us understand the Hanukkah story better.

You might be interested in the Hanukkah Bundle comprising of a poster, coloring pages and a Hanukkah menorah craft activity.

Autumn Fun Activities

Cook or eat a dish with pumpkin.

Go on a nature walk.

Wear your favorite sweater.

Take photos of nature.

Go stargazing.

Make an art collage of items from a garden.

Pick leaves and make compost.

Search for a poem about Autumn.

Collect seeds from various fruits.

Enjoy your favorite candy.

Like to see this as a poster? You might be interested in this poster.