Every year around early to mid-February, we receive decorative red and gold-trimmed envelopes filled with treats in celebration of our annual Chinese New Year celebration at school.

This past Monday’s new year celebration (Feb. 11, 2013) was high-spirited and enjoyable to watch.  The Chinese department’s new, elaborate dragon costume was a sensation. The Chinese skit, written, performed, and filmed by students in Chinese classes was hilarious and informative.

Every year, a zodiac animal relays to the Chinese New Year. Last year it was the year of the dragon. This year it is the snake. While the years corresponding with the snake skip the generation currently occupying the Upper School, those born in 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, and 2002 have the snake as their zodiac animal.

Characteristics associated with those born in the Year of the Snake include both positive and negative connotations.

Strengths include having a good temper, excellent communication skills, and when necessary, tremendous sympathy towards others, a determination to accomplish goals, to hate  failure, to have a calm appearance and be intense and passionate.

The snake’s weaknesses are jealously, tending to overdo things, preferring to rely on oneself, doubting others’ judgements, and being headstrong.

If your zodiac animal is not the snake, or you aren’t sure what animal you are, the following site may help. Once you find your your birth year, click on it. This will lead to a description of your zodiac animal and the kind of personality it possesses.

http://www.ofesite.com/spirit/chinese/animal2.htm.

Written by Avanti Patel’15

Filmed by Gavin Rackoff’14

Edited by Elliot Nick’14