TNCS Community Stampedes to Lunar New Year Celebration 2026!
TNCS blogger
At The New Century School, the school-wide on-stage celebrations are one of the community’s favorite things about TNCS. From the biannual spring and winter concerts to the yearly observations of cultural festivities including Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, and Lunar New Year to name a few—TNCS puts on a great show that draws on the whole village to make it happen.
While these performances are always very well attended, TNCS staff was pleasantly surprised by yesterday’s Lunar New Year 2026 celebration turn-out—it was standing room only! The timing was just right for one thing: with weather keeping us indoors for long stretches, it was great to get out and enjoy above freezing temps! It was also the last school day before a big long weekend that will see both Valentine’s Day and Presidents Day observed; folks were evidently ready to get the party started. More than timing, though, it’s this blogger’s opinion that combining the primary division with the elementary and middle school divisions is what brought the house down. It has been a while since we got to see all the kids together, and there’s something so beautiful and heartwarming about seeing the tiny ones all the way up through those about to graduate. You really get to see how it all works. It’s like live time lapse!
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TNCS Mandarin Chinese teachers went all out, assigning art projects that would do double duty as auditorium decor, teaching songs and directing research projects, and even cooking for the event. TNCS students were clearly enjoying themselves, and the audience was clearly impressed by their collective proficiency with the language. There was even a raffle for prizes!
All the red and gold lent an especially festive air to the occasion, as we learned the significance behind the Year of the Fire Horse.
On February 17, 2026, we officially enter the Year of the Fire Horse, lasting until February 20, 2027. “Fire” is the element, “Horse” the zodiac sign—and together they create a rare combination that appears only once every 60 years. Historically and symbolically, the Fire Horse is associated with intense momentum, restlessness, and catalytic change.
A slide show presentation acted as an on-stage program for the packed house.
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Following the show, the older TNCS students hosted stations exhibiting their classwork, purveying cultural items, and offering chances to try out some art.
Editor’s note: The performances (see program slides) brought the house down, but, due to certain privacy concerns, they cannot be shown here.
