Chinese Culture!
During our regular curriculum at Lee-Ming Chinese School, in addition to language skills, we also incorporate learning some of the culture and traditions of the Chinese People. Most are simple concepts and concern the behavior of socializing in a typical Chinese society. Many cultures, Eastern and Western, have the same or similar guidelines for the behavior of their children and each other. Can you think of any American/European sayings and expressions similar to those is the lessons below? Write them down and show your teacher!
May's session is focused on:
Devotion to Parents ( 孝順 )
Lessons:
- Children need be thankful to their parents for all they provide.
- Children need to honor their parents.
- You need to take care of your parents with no regrets.
- Taking good care of yourself is the same as making your parents relieved.
- Try to think from your parent's standpoint and feelings to understand what must be done or not done.
- Two things that are a must in this world: devotion to your parents and helping others.
May/June Traditions( 四月/ 六月的傳統 )
Youth Day - 青年節
- May 4 (China): A day in memory of the first mass student movement in 1919—a movement touched off by the then Chinese government that gave in to the Japanese government's attempt to colonize Shandong Province. It is also an anti-Confucius movement as well as one that promoted the western scientific and democratic ideas. Today, youth rallies are rare, but parties and picnic outings are gaining popularity.
Duanwu Festival (Dragon Boat Festival) - 端午節 / 端午节
- 5th Day of 5th Month: The best-known traditional story holds that the festival commemorates the death of poet Qu Yuan (c. 340–278 BCE) of the ancient state of Chu during the Warring States Period of the Zhou Dynasty. A descendant of the Chu royal house, Qu served in high offices. However, when the king decided to ally with the increasingly powerful state of Qin, Qu was banished for opposing the alliance; he was accused of treason. During his exile, Qu Yuan wrote a great deal of poetry, for which he is now remembered. Twenty-eight years later, Qin captured Ying, the capital of Chu. In despair, Qu Yuan committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.
It is said that the local people, who admired him, dropped sticky hi triangles wrapped in bamboo leaves into the river to feed the fish. The rice was wrapped so that fish would not eat Qu Yuan's body and eat the rice instead. This is said to be the origin of zongzi. The local people were also said to have paddled out on boats, either to scare the fish away or to retrieve his body. This is said to be the origin of dragon boat racing.
Source: Wikipedia.org, http://www.mofa.gov.tw
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Duanwu Festival (Dragon Boat Festival)
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