Lunar New Year, SKOLA and British English. What's the link?

Soon it will be Lunar New Year. But what is it? Why does it matter to SKOLA and what has British English got to do with all of this?

London, UK. Jack Taylor/Getty Images

What is Lunar New Year?

Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival, is a major holiday in China and many other countries in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and around the world with significant populations of people of East Asian heritage. It is a time for families to come together, celebrate the past year, and welcome in the new one. The date of Lunar New Year changes each year, as it is based on the lunar calendar rather than the solar calendar. It usually falls sometime between January 21 and February 20. The exact date of the holiday is determined by the lunar calendar, which is based on the cycles of the moon. This year, Lunar New Year will be on February 12, 2023.

Traditions associated with Lunar New Year include:

cleaning the house to sweep away any bad luck from the previous year
decorating with red and gold (red is believed to bring good luck and gold represents wealth)
setting off fireworks
exchanging gifts and red envelopes containing money.

It is also a time for families to come together and enjoy special foods and drinks. Lunar New Year is a time of great celebration and is an important holiday in many parts of the world. It is a time for people to come together, celebrate the past year, and look forward to the year ahead.

Is Lunar New Year celebrated in London?

In London, there are many events and celebrations that take place to mark Lunar New Year. These may include parades, cultural festivals, and other events that are held in different parts of the city. There may also be special food and drink available at restaurants and markets, and many businesses may decorate their shopfronts or display special decorations to mark the occasion.

London is home to a large and vibrant East Asian community, and the city is known for its diverse and multicultural population. As a result, there are many opportunities for people of all backgrounds to learn about and participate in the celebrations of Lunar New Year.

Skola

At Skola, one of our values is being open. We value different perspectives to build a strong community. We have students from around the world:

Having students from around the world makes a great learning environment. It is also interesting because we get to learn about each others cultures, such as Lunar New Year. Our students also learn about British culture. It is a key part of our curriculum. Also another reason students come to SKOLA is to learn British English.

What is British English?

You can watch examples of British English in this YouTube video:

In short, British English:

It is a variant of the English language that is spoken and written in the United Kingdom.
It has distinctive spelling, pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar compared to other forms of English.
Examples of distinctive features include the spelling "colour," the use of the present perfect verb tense, and unique words and phrases like "flat," "tube," and "queue."
British English is similar to American English, but there are enough differences between the two to make them distinct.

Do you want to learn British English? Learn more about our summer school here. Or our online lessons here.

This article was written by me (Connor). Find out more about me here.