Motivate readers with this free printable Lunar New Year reading passage for 3rd grade and up.
Read and test reading comprehension with the online quiz or print and use offline.
Chinese New Year Traditions
Lunar New Year is celebrated all over the world. In China it's a time when families take holidays and get together. They gather at each other's homes for visits and meals and often have a special feast on New Year's Eve.
Before the new year, it is a tradition to clean house to sweep away all the bad luck from the old year. Often, at midnight on New Year's Eve, people open all the doors and windows to let the old year leave.
People dress in bright red clothes to celebrate a happy year. They decorate their houses and write poems on red paper. The color red is for fire, which according to legend, can drive away bad luck. It is also a tradition to bang gongs and set off fireworks to celebrate and to frighten off evil spirits.
At Chinese New Year people give money to children in red envelopes. The red color is for good luck. The amount of money can be anything from a few coins to a larger amount. Lucky money envelopes are also known as Red Packets or Red Envelopes.
Chinese New Year is a 15-day holiday. It begins on the first day of a new moon and ends with the Lantern Festival, which is held 2 weeks later on the night of the bright full moon.
Lunar New Year is celebrated only in China. True False It doesn't say in the story. False
What does the color red represent? blood fire wealth fire
What color clothes do many people wear during the New Year holiday? red yellow gold red
How long is the Chinese New Year holiday? 1 day 15 days 1 month 15 days
What is in a New Year's Red Envelope? candy lucky money a poem on red paper lucky money
How much Lucky Money do most children get? at least one dollar $50 It can be any amount. It can be any amount.
Why do people bang on gongs? to call people to dinner to start the Lantern Parade to frighten off evil spirits to frighten off evil spirits
Why do people open the doors and windows on New Year's Eve? to let the old year leave to get fresh air into the house to let out the cooking smells to let the old year leave
According to tradition, why do people clean house before New Year's? to welcome the spirits to get ready for the feast to sweep away bad luck from the old year to sweep away bad luck from the old year
Why do people wear red at New Year's? Red is a lucky color and drives away bad luck. Red is the color of the Chinese flag. It's the color of a sunset. Red is a lucky color and drives away bad luck.
