Daphne, Year 12, Century Park Campus 

Red packets, mandarin oranges, spring couplets, and lion dances are all anticipated during this festive season! To me, Chinese New Year, is like a new beginning; a fresh start where I am able to set new goals and seize new opportunities for myself.

Many students at Yew Chung International School of Shanghai (YCIS) put up decorations one month ahead, welcoming good luck and prosperity (which everyone needs, but especially if you are in IB). My classmates and I spent every morning in form class filling the room with “good fortune” signs and red lanterns. Afterward, by looking at the decorations you could already see how eager we were for the festival!

During my Chinese New Year holiday, my family and I went back to my home in Singapore to celebrate, as this is a time of year for families to be reunited once again after being apart in different places around the world. I personally look forward to going back since all of my relatives are there. On the eve of Chinese New Year, my entire family went out for a reunion dinner where we talked about the ups and downs we face in life. I think we might have been one of the loudest tables compared to those around us because of our laughter. As a Singaporean, there is a certain dish we eat on that day called “Yu Sheng”. It consists of strips of raw fish, shredded vegetables, a variety of sauces, and other ingredients such as crackers, all making it taste extremely delicious. It also symbolises abundance and vigor, and if you ever visit Singapore during Chinese New Year, I hope you can try this dish.

Overall, it was a fantastic experience this year to celebrate Chinese New Year both at school in Shanghai and at home in Singapore!