Kicking off the year of the metal rat, Xavier School held its annual Chinese New Year celebration last Friday, January 24th. The program started with a celebratory unit mass led by school president Fr. Aristotle Dy, S.J.

One of the most notable parts of the Eucharistic celebration was the homily given by Fr. Ari. During the homily, Fr. Ari began by listing some of the most well-known rat characters such as Remy from Ratatouille, Pikachu, and Stuart Little. Following this, Fr. Ari gave some cultural trivia regarding the famous “Great Zodiac Race” which would later on decide the arrangement of animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Among all twelve animals, the rat was the first to cross the finish line, making it the first animal of the Chinese Zodiac. To end his homily, Fr. Ari discussed was a Chinese folktale concerning the interrelation of heaven (天 tiān), Earth (地 dì), and Man (人 rén), setting the tone for the rest of the activities.

Right after the celebration of the Eucharist, the student body was led to the corridors of the grade school building as part of the program. The first performance was the long-awaited dragon and lion dance performed by Xavier’s very own Xavier Dragon Lion Dance Troupe (XDL). After XDL performed, students from both Xavier San Juan and Xavier Nuvali showcased their skills in wushu and martial arts. Apart from this, Xavier School also invited Mr. Jonah Chantong, Mr. Chinatown 2019, to share his insights on Filipino-Chinese culture.

After the morning activities, students went back to their respective classrooms to enjoy Chinese food together. As classes enjoyed their food, Chinese teachers remained busy preparing booths for Grade 11 and 12 students to participate in Chinese cultural activities. The activities prepared were:

  • Paper Cutting
  • Blow Painting
  • Calligraphy
  • Rope Skipping
  • Sipa
  • Throwing
  • Pick Up Beans
  • Blowing Ping Pong Ball

While the senior high school students were busy at the High School Gym, Junior High School students participated in quiz bees and other Chinese games. In the end, the Chinese New Year celebration served as an avenue for each student to be reminded of his culture and heritage. The Stallion wishes everyone a Happy Chinese New Year. 新年快乐！恭喜发财！学业进步！

Credits to Nathan Asher Lee Bata for photos