Chinese New Year
This year, Valentine’s Day won’t be the only celebration on February 14th – that also happens to be the date of the Lunar New Year. It’s observed in many Asian countries and some Western cities – like mine – but it’s probably best known as Chinese New Year.
I’ve learned a thing or two about it over the years I’ve lived here.
A special dinner is a large part of the celebration. It’s made up of foods that either symbolize good things to come (like uncut noodles, for long life) or have names that sound like encouraging words (like fish, similar to the word for “surplus”).
Red is the color of the season. It’s used in decorations and gifts; some people even paint the trim on their houses red for good luck. Red greeting cards, with elaborate decorations, slots to hold money, and matching envelopes, appear in the stores at this time of year. These are used by married couples to give gifts of money to children and single adults.
Making a fresh start is also part of Lunar New Year. Many people feel the urge to clean their houses thoroughly to sweep away all the bad luck of last year, though that can be hard when you live in a Western country with no time off for the holiday.
Each year is named for an animal, according to the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac. This will be the Year of the Tiger.
How do you say “Happy New Year” in Cantonese? Actually, you don’t. You say, “Gung hay fat choy” (I’ve seen this spelled different ways), which means, more or less, “Congratulations and prosperity”.
So, if you’d rather ignore Valentine’s Day this year, you have a fallback holiday. If you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day, maybe you’d like to add a Chinese touch to it.
