Chinese New Year celebrated in Maseru
LIAPENG RALIENGOANE
MASERU – The Chinese community and Basotho learning Mandarin gathered at Machabeng College to celebrate Chinese New Year last Friday. Also dubbed Spring festival, it featured performances, sharing gifts and exploring Chinese traditional food.
While elaborating on the nuances of the celebration, Pontšo Thatho, the Director of the Confucius Institute disclosed that the Chinese celebrate Spring Festival at the end of the year in the lunar calendar of traditional Chinese style.
“Our Confucius classroom also celebrates this most important festival. It is the most important festival in China whereby all family members come together from far and near to celebrate.”
He highlighted that “In Chinese culture, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are like Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. On this day, people make dumplings, other delicious food and dishes for the family members.
They usually make fire, firecrackers and fireworks outside their houses at midnight (usually before 12) and whose purpose is to frighten evils from the underworld and wish good luck to the new coming year. Older members give away red paper bags which contain money to young ones in the family.”
He furthermore divulged that the Confucius Classroom of Lesotho celebrates Chinese New Year with the purpose of sharing happiness with Basotho and students learning Mandarin.
“We decorate our theatre with Chinese decorations such as lanterns, we hold some contests like Chinese speech, writing character, movie dubbing, Chinese dances, pot tossing, guess lantern riddles and many more.”
As Chinese tradition dictates, they also give away red paper bags which contain money to the students who win the prizes. Money in red envelopes is believed to bring good luck, as red is China’s lucky colour, so it is called lucky money. Reminiscing about her childhood memory of Spring festival in China, Chinese Director of the Confucius classroom Liu Yinghong said “Growing up, this festival was the happiest, my parents would prepare new clothes, give me money in the red paper bag, eat delicious food and have fun with other children from our relatives.”
“I have been in Lesotho for more than two years and celebrate the Spring Festival with my students and workmates. I always feel homesick when the day comes because I cannot go back to China to celebrate it with my family. On a lighter note, it feels great celebrating it with my students so that they learn about Chinese culture and Chinese New Year. We share great moments and I will forever cherish my experience in this beautiful country,” she added with a huge smile.
As the day progressed, five students won the first prize (M600 each), 15 students got second prize (M400 each), 30 students got third prize (M200 each) while Thathohatsi Ntsebo Moji walked away with M2600 as the most sum of money. This year, the Chinese New Year fell on January 29.
Each year honours an animal based on the Chinese zodiac. The circle of 12 animals: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. 2025 is the Year of the Snake. Snakes are viewed with both fear and reverence in Chinese culture. On the one hand, venomous snakes are associated with darkness. But in Chinese mythology, snakes are also known as “little dragons,” and the skin they shed is known as “the dragon’s coat,” symbolizing good luck, rebirth and regeneration.
The snake also symbolizes the pursuit of love and happiness.
Confucius Classrooms are local institutions in different countries. Their purpose is to promote and teach Chinese culture and language around the world.
On April 25, 2017, the first Confucius Classroom in Lesotho was officially inaugurated at Machabeng College. 2025 marks 31 years since the resumption of diplomatic relations between China and Lesotho.
