Lunar New Year

High school (ages 12+)
Holidays & Celebrations

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/lunar-new-year

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How deep is Lunar New Year?Celebrations have ancient origins, often linked to agricultural cycles and astronomical observation
2. What is the cultural importance?Serves as a cornerstone for cultural identity, family reunion, and societal cohesion
3. What is the global recognition?Designated as a UN holiday and celebrated publicly in various international locations
4. Why do people use a lunar calendar for Lunar New Year?The moon takes about 29.5 days to change, so a lunar year has 12 months of about 354 days, which is 11 days shorter than a solar year. To keep the holiday in the right season, many cultures add a leap month.
5. How do cultures keep the Lunar New Year in the same season?They use a lunisolar calendar that adds an extra month from time to time. This keeps the holiday near the same time of year for planting and harvest.

Synodic Period: The time it takes for the moon to complete one cycle of phases as seen from Earth.
Intercalary Month: An extra month added periodically to a lunisolar calendar to keep it aligned with the solar year.
Diaspora: People who have spread out from their original homeland to live in other countries.