Celebrating the Lunar New Year 2025 at Sakura-Olympia School System
Date Submitted: 22/01/2025
These early spring days are a special time for the Sakura-Olympia community to come together and welcome a hopeful new year. After the rainy winter, students and teachers celebrated Tết (Lunar New Year) with meaningful and emotional activities, creating unforgettable memories for everyone.
Sakura Kindergarten Spring Festival: A Small Market, Big Festive Joys
Kindergarten students learned about Tết through creative activities. They explored traditions like blooming apricot and peach blossoms, bánh chưng and bánh tét (traditional cakes), and stories about the snake, symbolizing wisdom, flexibility, perseverance, and rebirth. They also created Tết-themed artwork like fireworks and fruit displays.
A lesson about Lunar New Year for Sakura Kindergarten students
Children excitedly clean banana leaves to prepare for wrapping Chung cakes
The excitement culminated in a vibrant Spring Festival with a "mini market" featuring food stalls with traditional treats like coconut jam and fresh fruit.
The bustling atmosphere of the Sakura Kindergarten Spring Festival
Food stalls with rich traditional flavors at the Spring Festival
Children experience making Tet Chung cakes
The handicraft booth also attracts the interest of many children.
Beyond enjoying traditional food, the children became "Tết artisans," making bánh chưng and handmade crafts. Their focused efforts and laughter filled the air, bringing spring to Sakura-Olympia. The festival helped them experience the full flavor of Tết and its enduring values.
Miracle Melody: Spring Melodies Connecting Hearts
The spring spirit also filled Olympia School’s Tết celebrations, including the Miracle Melody concert and the Tết Collection Festival.
The Miracle Melody concert showcased the talents of elementary students with diverse performances like choirs, drum and dance combinations, piano solos, and guitar and pianica ensembles. The music conveyed their passion, hard work, and aspirations. It was also a chance for students to thank their parents and teachers.
The performances impressed the audience with the students' confidence and musical passion, creating a joyful and emotional atmosphere.
Drum Dance "The Spring Festival is Coming" performed by Venus Class
Piano Sol: "Spring of Dragon and Phoenix Reunited" performed by Rio (Earth Class)
Piano Solo "The Birdcatcher’s Song" performed by Andrew (Earth Class)
Dance "Walking Through the Radiant Sky" performed by Mars Class
Guitar and Pianica Ensemble "Minuet in C" performed by Venus Class students
Band Ensemble: "Proud of You" performed by Mars Class
Sketch-Dance "What’s the Rush?" performed by Earth Class
Choral Performance "Courage to Change" performed by Venus, Earth, and Mars Class
Tết Collection Festival: Spring Connection – Complete Joy
The Tết Collection Festival created a vibrant scene of youth and love at Sakura-Olympia. Students in colorful áo dài (traditional long dress) celebrated with teachers and parents, blending tradition and modern energy.
Bustling Tet atmosphere at Tet Collection festival
Parents and students eagerly participate in Tet and welcome Spring
The festival recreated traditional Tết elements. Stalls featuring calligraphy, To He (toy figurines), and handicrafts helped children understand Vietnamese cultural values - "Childhood Station" with traditional snacks brought back memories of simpler Tết celebrations.
Booth to experience writing calligraphy with the Scholar
Booth to experience making clay figurines with artisans
A Tet puzzle booth with attractive gifts attracts the participation of many students
Childhood Station with traditional Tet snacks
Students and parents enthusiastically participate in bonding games to collect experience vouchers
A special highlight was the students' Handmade stall, featuring items like Tết calendars, couplets, greeting cards, games, and treats. The proceeds went to charity, sharing love with those in need.
Handmade booth selling handmade products that SOers invested their heart into creating
Sun 1 and Sun 2 classes created unique Tet game cards, along with Tet greeting cards and calendars decorated with bright spring colors
Mercury 1 and Mercury 2 classes brought bright red lucky money envelopes and creative recycled keychains
Members of Venus and Earth classes were also impressed with sparkling bracelets and paper bags containing Tet gifts
Representatives of Mars and 6 classes introduced beautiful desk calendars and creative calendars
Grades 7 and 8 invested in research to create special Tet cakes such as pineapple cakes, cat tongue cakes, and black bread, accompanied by love keychains that are guaranteed to conquer all taste buds
Unique products with a variety of genres attracted the love of customers, causing the booth to quickly "sell out"
Lion dances concluded the Tết Collection Festival, ushering in a new year of hope and joy. More than just an event, Tết Collection celebrated cultural values, sharing, and belief in a happy new year.
The lion dance performance closed the joyful Tet Collection festival, opening a new year of peace and happiness.
A Joyful Spring Concludes
The Lunar New Year 2025 celebrations at Sakura-Olympia Schools provided meaningful and emotional experiences, spreading joy and love throughout the community.
Wishing the SO family a prosperous new year filled with success and wonderful moments!