Pacca Alpaca: Chinese New Year
Pacca Alpaca visits China, meets Panda and sees how the Chinese New Year is celebrated, with lanterns, dumplings and red envelopes. Ages 4 to 9.
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What is Pacca Alpaca: Chinese New Year about?
Pacca Alpaca: Chinese New Year is an animated video for children aged 4 to 9 in which Pacca Alpaca travels to China to see how the Chinese New Year is celebrated.
Pacca Alpaca is a fantastically fluffy guide who travels the world with children, discovering languages and cultures along the way. In this episode his carousel lands in China, where a new friend, Panda, is waiting to greet him. Pacca learns to say hello in Mandarin Chinese, "nǐ hǎo", and "xīnnián kuàilè", Happy New Year. Each new word is shown on the screen in Chinese characters, with its sound in letters underneath.
Then Panda shows him the festival. They watch the lion dance, and Pacca, who loves to dance, joins in. They look at a table full of food and at oranges, which families put out as a wish for good luck in the new year. They eat dumplings, the food of New Year's Eve: a coin is hidden in one of them, and the custom is that whoever finds it will be the lucky one in the year ahead. These are Chinese customs; Muslims believe that all good comes from Allah, not from luck, so parents may want to say so as they watch. Red lanterns light up the sky, and Pacca is given a red envelope of money, which children receive from their parents and grandparents instead of presents. He says thank you, "xièxiè", and the night ends with fireworks.
Pacca goes home with a new hat and says goodbye, "zàijiàn". It is a gentle first look at another culture's festival and a few words of its language. The video lasts about four minutes and is not music-free.
What your child will learn
- People around the world celebrate different festivals in their own ways.
- In Mandarin Chinese, "nǐ hǎo" means hello and "xièxiè" means thank you.
- It is good manners to say thank you when someone gives us a gift.
- A new friend can teach us about their culture.
Talk about it afterwards
- What did Panda show Pacca Alpaca at the Chinese New Year?
- Can you remember how to say hello in Chinese?
- How does our family celebrate Eid, and how is it different from the Chinese New Year?
- What would you like to learn about a friend's culture?
Frequently asked questions
What age is Pacca Alpaca: Chinese New Year suitable for?
Children aged 4 to 9. It is short and bright, and shows each new Chinese word on the screen.
Is Pacca Alpaca: Chinese New Year an Islamic video?
No. It shows how the Chinese New Year is celebrated, as a first look at another culture, and it has no Islamic content. Parents may want to explain that Muslims do not believe in luck from oranges or coins: every blessing comes from Allah.
How long is Pacca Alpaca: Chinese New Year?
About 4 minutes.
