February 12th brings the advent of a new Lunar Year and with it, a host of pan-Asian traditions. On that day, traditional lunisolar calendars mark the moon as being at its newest, and the spring being ready to be sprung. Gloriously, Chinese tradition on this side of the Pacific will make itself tasted, heard, and seen: dumplings for dinner, the trading of red packets, or the hanging of lanterns. 

How will you celebrate the Year of the Ox? With a bang? 

Possible Places to Start

- Whatever celebration you take part in on the 12th, depict it. 
- Try your hand at the esteemed art of Chinese Calligraphy .
- Sketch the moon. Or, sketch a normal street scene tinged with the color red.
- Write a short story about a New Year's gift that goes totally, horribly wrong.

Don't forget to include your name, grade and school, and an (optional) headshot with your piece. Also, titles! Send your submission to [email protected] by Monday, February 15th. 

We realize some of you may have submitted related pieces to the July series on Family Tradition. If you have already had a piece published, we urge you to delve deep into other aspects of this historically rooted and culturally rich holiday.

A pair of parrots; a special tiger; a very cool cat; antlers peeking out from the woods, and a startlingly blue wolf howling at the moon. The artwork and writing in our January Series render the wild in every form — unlocking primordial forms and beings with the simple stroke of the pen. 

"The Purrfect Life" by Audrey Hong renders with skillful pen marks a cat with distinctive character.​

"Wild Life" by Eason Tang takes us toward canine calls atop the peak of a craggy, meticulously-drawn hill.

"Tiger" by Brendon Wang presents us with the fierce rictus of his Zodiac sign.

"Animal Forest" by Grace Li could be lifted right out of a storybook, with its shining antlers and graceful woodland inhabitants.

"Parrots" by Yuming Dong splashes with the bold, Kahlo-esque colors of a twin pair of macaw parrots.

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       A tiger is an animal with orange stripes and black stripes across the body. No two tigers have the same stripes. The stripes are like the pattern of snowflakes. On the face of a tiger, there are some whiskers coming from the side of the nose and mouth. The whiskers are flying from the mouth going in different directions. The nose is like a triangle with wobbly sides. The eyes are a glowing yellow. The legs of a tiger have stripes on them, and they have claws. Like most cats, the tiger can retract their claws when they aren’t using them and extract them when they’re hunting.
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       A tiger prowls across its territory like guards guarding a whole room full of gold. The roar of a tiger can be heard 2 miles away! The meaning of the tiger is said to be willpower, courage, and personal strength.

       My zodiac is tiger. That is why I like tigers and wrote about tigers. Also, my school’s mascot is a tiger!
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