Lunar New Year was cause for celebration at Hunters Down Care Home, as the team and residents gathered to welcome the year of the Ox in style.
They started the day by learning about the Lunar New Year and some of the traditions surrounding it. One of these traditions they learnt about was a dragon dance, which started in china and is said to scare evil spirits away. It was also used to worship ancestors and pray for rain. The team played one of these dances on the screen which everyone enjoyed watching.
Mavis, a resident at Hunters Down, especially enjoyed this activity as she has been to China and Hong Kong. She has seen the dragon dance in person and said it was wonderful and very impressive. She told stories about her trip and said the people were very polite, welcoming and helpful.
She said the shops were very full and most of the items were still in boxes which she wasn’t used to. She said the food was amazing though and all the buildings were built very well.
After hearing her wonderful stories, residents found out their animal zodiac signs and enjoyed hearing about the meaning behind each of them.
They finished the day by snacking on prawn crackers and trying to write their names in Chinese. Each person was given the Chinese alphabet and enjoyed trying to write their name. Everyone soon realised how difficult it was!
It was a wonderful day and everyone enjoyed celebrating the start of the Lunar New Year.