On January 20, 2023, a celebration for the Lunar New Year was held in IGBIS considering it is one of the biggest holidays for several countries such as ​​South Korea, China, and Vietnam.  

The Lunar New Year is celebrated worldwide, especially in East Asia to mark the start of the new lunar cycle.   

This year, members of the IGBIS community dressed up with the themes of the Lunar New Year such as traditional clothes and related colors like red and gold. 

There were some students who were wearing “Cheongsam” and “Changshan” which are traditional Chinese clothes, and Korean traditional clothes called “Hanbok”. 

People who didn’t have traditional clothes mostly wore red-based  outfits with floral patterns.  

The red color symbolizes luck, happiness, vitality, and fertility, and gold represents wealth and riches in most Asian countries. 

Not only was there a dress-up day to lift the Lunar New Year mood, but there were also a lot of performances prepared by the students of the elementary school and secondary school. 

For this assembly, 3 students from elementary school became emcees and introduced the main traditions of countries that celebrate the Lunar New Year.   

Also, the orchestra played a Korean traditional song called “Doraji (도라지 타령)” and the famous song “Butter” by BTS. 

Grade 3 students performed sign language with a Chinese song and grade 7 girls performed the Chinese fan dance. 

A rock band from grade 12 performed the Chinese song “少年 (Youth)” with the harmony of singing, piano, and drums. 

Students and teachers all enjoyed the performances and showed their support by singing along together and waving the cell phone flash.  

The main highlight was the Lunar New Year fashion show held by the whole community. 

Some school members from elementary school, secondary school, administrators, and teachers participated in the fashion show. 

Not all of them wore traditional clothes, however, they decorated themselves with beautiful accessories. 

All students shouted and cheered for all the participants in the fashion show. 

Besides the amazing performances, there were small activities such as the Lunar New Year quiz show, the Simon Says game, and Jegichagi, a Korean traditional game. 

Some questions on the Lunar New Year quiz show were, “How many animals are there in the Chinese calendar?”, “Which Chinese zodiac year is 2023?” and “What are some traditional foods that Koreans eat on Lunar New Year?” 

Students who got the correct answers were rewarded with small candies. 

When it was time to play the Jegichagi game, numerous students encountered difficulties in the beginning, as it is a new game for many of them. 

The best record of Jegichagi from students was six in a row, and these students were able to get the new Jegichagi set as a prize. 

Activities that were done in-between performances made students  more interested in the Lunar New Year and enjoy the assembly more. 

The 2023 Lunar New Year celebration was more special and meaningful for everyone in IGBIS as it was the first physical celebration after the Covid-19 pandemic. 

All information, performances, and activities were able to increase students’ understanding of the Lunar New Year, especially for those from countries where they don't celebrate it. 

Yeji Seo
Grade 11 
IGB international school