The Lunar New Year is one of the many celebrations that Tower Hill School celebrates. Led by the narrators Katherine Niu and Anna Schiltz, two twelfth-grade students, presented an educational and entertaining assembly on February 14th. The narrators created a presentation that taught the upper school about the rich traditions of the Lunar New Year as celebrated in China, Korea, and Vietnam. From performances showcasing instruments to mesmerizing dances, the assembly was both fun and educational.
The Lunar New Year, predominantly celebrated by the Chinese community, marks its beginning on the first day of the Luni-Solar calendar, which fell on February 10th this year. Families gather together for joyous reunions, eating delicious food, and receiving red envelopes filled with gifts like money from their friends and family. A tradition celebrated on the Lunar New Year involves watching the Spring Festival Gala, a spectacular show that can be watched on the television of comedy, drama, dance, and various talents that continues into the following day.
To kick off the assembly, the advanced Mandarin class delighted the upper school with a dragon dance, symbolizing the Year of the Dragon and showing Chinese culture. Brandon Liu from the class of 2025 played a beautiful piece on the saxophone, echoing the essence of Chinese music. Additionally, Macy Shi from the class of 2026 and Hannah Xue from the class of 2025 presented a violin piece depicting a Chinese myth about the Butterfly Lovers. Their duet skillfully intertwined high and low musical elements, symbolizing the journey of the two lovers in the tale.
Macy Shi and Hannah Xue performing
梁祝 (Liang Zhu) aka The Butterfly Lovers
Following that, Aileen Zhang, a member of the class of 2026, presented us with a graceful dance embodying Chinese culture. Then, the Tower Hill Middle School Chinese Yoyo Club treated the upper school to an engaging performance filled with impressive yoyo tricks. These entertaining performances left the upper school in applause. To conclude the assembly, the advanced Mandarin class brought out their masterpiece: an impressive 18-foot-long dragon that they painted. Mrs. Baker, the head of the school, painted the dragon's eye green in honor of the Lunar New Year celebration.
Aileen Zhang performing Moonlit Night by the Spring River
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