Two special events to start February off

 On the first of February, we celebrate the beginning of two special occasions. 

This year, the Lunar New Year celebrations begin on the 1st of February. This celebration takes place during the first 15 days of the lunar calendar from Feb. 1 to Feb. 15 and ends with the Lantern Festival.

In many East Asian cultures, people celebrate the Spring Festival or the beginning of a new lunisolar year on the traditional Chinese calendar. 

In the USA, you can go to any city's Chinatown and see it decorated with paper lanterns, hear the sounds of firecrackers being set off, and perhaps catch a parade complete with a dancing dragon.

Here's a clip from New York's parade:

In San Diego, the historical Chinese district is in downtown, so the festival is held in the Gaslamp Quarter. You can visit this website and see when the next festival is! 

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February is Black History Month. 

In the United States, there is a dedicated month to create awareness about Black history in the country. Every year since 1976, the president chooses a theme. This year, it is "Black Health and Wellness".  We celebrate the knowledge and contributions of the African diaspora by learning about important figures. 

For example, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an important figure that advocated for peace and equality. Does this remind us of someone that we learned about for Peace Day? 

On the blog, I will be posting weekly activities related to this and to what we are learning in class. 


BONUS ACTIVITY: 

Check out this YouTube playlist for stories relating to Black history. 

This episode, Hana Ali will read you a book about her dad, a famous boxer named Muhammad Ali: