Happy Chinese New Year

[Seraphin]

The New Year begins today February 19, 2015, according to the 3000-year-old Chinese calendar. I'm not Chinese but my fiancee and I used to celebrate it along with our pagan Chinese friends! This is the day we swing fortune to our whim using the principles of Feng Shui.

For those who celebrate it in some form, perhaps Xiao do? Happy Chinese New Year!

I know in some time zones it will fall tomorrow, so sorry if this is advance.

[Xiao Rong]

Well, I am planning on celebrating with some friends next week by cooking some Chinese foods. I resolved earlier this year to do a tarot reading every new moon, so I'll try that. But alas, no special plans and no visiting family, as per custom. Although I might try to make some potstickers for the new year for good luck!

Xin nian kuai le!

[Seraphin]

We're actually going to China Town tonight to see once again those lovely lion dance and the fireworks, and smell the cured chicken meat and the Chinese herbal potions and temple incenses, and the hot, delicious food at the dai pai dongs.

Oh and speaking of foods, what delicacies are you planning to prepare for them Xiao?

[BabyBear]

I was actually wanting to know more about the typical celebration for Chinese new years, I only know a limited amount of traditions for today, mind tell me some common traditions and maybe some things that you think are not so traditional but you know your family and friends do?

[Xiao Rong]

Hi Baby Bear! Well, you can find loads of information online. The biggest thing about Chinese New Year, hands down, is spending time with family and people you love (people moving across China to see their families is the single largest annual human migration event in the world!). It is also customary to wear a lot of red, which is the color of joy. Chinese New Year is also a great time to buy new clothes and wear them. Lots of people also very thoroughly clean their houses before the New Year to sweep out the old and invite in the new (which I just realized I did this last weekend, without even realizing it!). There are also some special foods to eat for luck and prosperity for the new year. Adults typically give children gifts of cash in little red envelopes. There are some taboos on what kind of gifts NOT to buy. That's the quickie summary! I would say that Chinese New Year in many Asian countries is as big of a deal (if not bigger) than Christmas is to the West.

[BabyBear]

lol glad to know i knew most of this >< I only ever celebrated once and we had a very small celebration just me and my ex-boyfriend and some of this family we didnt do most of the stuff but we did wear red and eat this really yummie noodle dish almost like ramen and passed out cash envelopes to the kids and his mom surprised us with a cash envelope of our own but its cool to find that there are some taboo gifts not to buy i would have never thought about that to be honest. Glad I just got everyone little jade Buddhas statue i found so they could keep on with them where ever they went ><.

Thanks for the info Xiao