2 . WUHAN, China (Reuters) — Large crowds took to the streets at midnight on Friday in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, celebrating the arrival of 2021 after a year scarred by a deadly pandemic (大流行) that killed thousands there and required the city to be locked down between the end of January and early April.

According to the tradition, hundreds gathered in front of the old Hankow Customs House building, one of the city’s most popular New Year’s Eve spots. When the building’s old clock reached midnight many people released balloons into the air, cheered and called out “happy new year” .

“I’m so so so incredibly happy,” said 20-year-old student and tourist Yang Wenxuan. “This is my first time in Wuhan. But it was so amazing.”

“I hope that I can successfully obtain my bachelor degree and I hope I can find a boyfriend,” Yang added.

There was a heavy police presence and strict crowd control. Some security personnel were seen telling several of the few people without masks that they must put one on if they wished to stay. Still, the countdown appeared to proceed peacefully, in a relaxed atmosphere.

The festivities came 12 months after the World Health Organization (WHO) said it first received word of cases of a pneumonia (肺炎) of an unknown cause in Wuhan, which later became known as the world’s first outbreak of COVID-19. A team of WHO experts is scheduled to arrive in China in January 2021 to find out the origins of the pandemic.

Wuhan has been largely virus free for months. But a recent small rise in cases in various Chinese cities, including Beijing, has reminded people in Wuhan that the pandemic is not over yet.

3 . Summer is around the corner, and you may already be dreaming about how you’ll spend your break. Chances are, staying in school is not your top pick. But for 13-year-old Simone Jones of Philadelphia — and more than 2 million other students in the U.S. — going to school in the summer is the only choice. That’s because Simone goes to a year-round school.

In fact, year-round schools have almost the same number of vacation days as traditional-calendar schools. In a year-round school, summer break is usually shortened to about four weeks; the remaining vacation time gets spread out over the rest of the year. Simone, for example, gets a few weeks off in the fall, winter, and spring.

That extra time off during the school year can be a good thing. “Everyone thinks a year-round school is hard,” says Simone. “But the little breaks take a lot of pressure (压力) off us.”

Reorganizing the year can prevent summer learning loss — that is, forgetting what you’ve learned from the prior (之前的) school year. However, there is a downside. In fact, some schools have tried year-round schedules (时间表) only to turn back when it was difficult to carry out. Try setting up a soccer game with another school when you’re on a break every few weeks. Planning family trips can be difficult too, especially if siblings (兄弟姐妹) are on different school schedules.

What does summer vacation mean in our culture? It’s an American tradition, a time to create lasting memories. But is tradition a good enough reason to keep it around? Summer break began 120 years ago, when it was very hot in the summer, so schools started closing. Today, we have air conditioning. And most parents work. For many kids, summer days are spent mostly indoors, playing video games and watching TV. Clearly the world has changed. Is it time for summer break to change, too?

5 . CHINESE new year Celebrations

Check back for information about Chinese New Year (also called the Lunar New Year) celebrations, parades, and fireworks in the cities below. We typically update this page in early January.

Los Angeles (United States)

Annual Golden Dragon Parade(游行)

Saturday, February 4, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

North Broadway

The Golden Dragon Parade is the important Chinese cultural event in Southern California and draws over 100,000 visitors and tourists. The parade has been an annual event since 1898.

It features marching bands, lion and dragon dancers, performers, and over two dozen floats.

Learn more about Los Angeles Chinatown!

Vancouver (Canada)

Chinese New Year Parade

Saturday, January 28, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Sunday, January 29, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Sun Yat-Sen Plaza

It features different cultural performances, special lion dance, Kung Fu shows and more.

Learn more about Vancouver Chinatown!

London (England)

Chinese New Year Parade

Sunday, January 29, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Trafalgar Square

Floats, Chinese lion and dragon dance teams, local artists, food and craft shops. Continuous performances at Trafalgar Square. The biggest Lion and Dragon event in Europe!

Learn more about London Chinatown!

Sydney (Australia)

Lunar Lanterns

January 27 – February 12

Darling Harbour

Twelve extremely large Chinese lanterns, created by local artists to celebrate the animals of the Chinese zodiac(黄道带), will be shown at different places through the city. The lanterns – which were uncovered in 2016 – have been updated for 2017.

Learn more about Sydney Chinatown!