Drums echoed through the hallways at Albion Elementary as students welcomed the Lunar New Year with a lively lion dance parade.
The parade, held on Feb. 17, was a school-wide event where everyone participated – whether it was by performing or cheering on the lions.
“This event made it easy for me to share my culture with the school,” said Grade 5 student Kim, who took part in the parade. “I felt really excited about that.”
Students in grades 4 to 7 took on a range of roles during the event. Some danced as the lion’s head or body, others played drums, collected red envelopes, or helped carry music through the halls using a laptop and speaker on a cart. Kindergarten and Grade 1 students also joined the parade, shaking noisemakers as they followed along.
Grade 5 student Phong played the drums during the parade.
“I practiced with my own drum at home,” he explained. “I did drumming for a Vietnamese temple before, so I remembered how to play.”
Phong’s favourite part, however, was watching the lions grab the red envelopes hanging from classroom doorways and eating them to symbolize good luck and prosperity.
“I liked watching the lions get the red envelopes because it was so fun to see them try to get the envelopes,” he said.
Phong added that it was “so cool to have a big event,” and is excited to see the school celebrate different traditions throughout the year.
“It was wonderful to see our students who observe Lunar New Year share their enthusiasm and pride in their cultural traditions with their classmates,” said Grade 4 teacher Terry Jung. “They were excited to invite some of their friends from different cultural backgrounds to join in and be an important part of the lion dance parade.”
Sharing vibrant customs like a lion parade is all about fostering cultural inclusivity and celebrating the diversity of the school community, added English Language Learners (ELL) teacher Leah Kitamura, who helped Jung organize the parade alongside ELL teacher Kana Wiens.
“We hope that students who do not observe Lunar New Year gain an appreciation for a celebration that is cherished in Canada and around the world,” she explained. “We strive for our schools to be spaces where everyone feels a sense of belonging — where the sharing of diverse holidays and traditions reflects and honours the rich cultural backgrounds of our families and school community.”
2026 is the Year of the Horse, the seventh animal in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac.
