time

This page outlines how the material on Chinese New Year can be used by teachers and students of social studies and history. The material can be a springboard into further topics associated with the experiences of Chinese in New Zealand. The links to the historic events offer opportunities for further study.

It is not our intention to provide an exhaustive list of teaching activities but rather to offer ideas to help the busy teacher get started.

We welcome feedback. Please use the comments box at the bottom of this page.

The trial proved popular with most New Zealanders and daylight saving of one hour (from October to March) was made permanent in 1975.

Not everyone was happy. Dairy farmers in particular objected to having to get up in the dark all year round. Others worried that putting their clocks forward would make hens stop laying, curtains and carpets fade faster, and lawns go brown. A novel solution was found in the Northland dairying community of Ararua, which rejected daylight saving and implemented ‘Ararua Time’ instead.

Measuring time

Scientifically, the year is a complete cycle of seasons. A year is when the earth completes one full orbit of the sun. Its length is measured from one spring equinox to the next spring equinox.

Measuring the time of year was important to most people. Knowing the season was vital when deciding to plant and harvest crops as well as managing livestock in colder climates. Other cultural and religious practices happened at specific times of the year, so it was  important to have some sense of time.