Happy New Year!

Yesterday was the first day of the Chinese New Year. I say first day because it lasts for 15 days, or that’s how my family celebrated it and how I remember it. This year is the year 4706, and is the year of the Rat. However, it was a regular day for us, here in Iowa. There aren’t dragon dances, dimsum restaurants and eatery places to go to, and I didn’t even wear red.

I’m a little sad that our kids wont’ grow up with the same understanding of the Lunar New Year as I did. Chinese New Year just has not been the same for me since we moved here almost 20 years ago.

As a child, every year, I remember being woken up very early on New Year’s Day by the smell of delicious foods my mom and great-grandmother were making. They get up before the crack of dawn and start preparing food. The small brick house has little ventilation and is all steamed up, with smokes hanging around almost in the entire house. My mom would give us sweet dumplings and savory chicken made in a specific way — foods that we only had a few times a year.

Between the 2nd day and the 15th day of Chinese New Year, we would go around visiting all of our relatives. Bringing foods with us as a token of good wishes. We kids would get Red Envelopes with money in them, while our parents would have to pass them to other kids and unmarried adults. It was a great time to be had. Lots of food, gift monies, and school sessions were on holiday. My mom told me much later, that I never wanted to go to my grandmother’s house during Chinese New Year because she only gave one Yuan (that’s equivalent to about 13 US cents) while other relatives would give 5 or even 20 Yuan. Like us, my grandmother was not well to do at all and lived with what little her children provided for her. I had no concept of that and had very little appreciation for all the heartache and hard work she did.

My brother and I really loved playing with firecrackers during Chinese New Year. My brother, being a true brother, taunted me with firecrackers and took most of the good ones from me. But I still enjoyed playing with him and looked up to him. I hear firecrackers are now banned in even the smallest cities.

Mom is somewhat superstitious. She forbid us to wash our hairs on New Year’s Day. The number four is not to be said at all, as it is the same pronunciation as death, and everything said during those first 15 days must be positive, nice things. And say a lot of 8’s, which is said in the same intonation as prosperity or growth or rich. She also made sure the house was all dusted and cleaned from top to bottom on or before New Year’s Eve.

As in western cultures, the Chinese New Year symbolizes new beginnings. With that, I hope this year brings everyone good health, happiness, and prosperity.

Gong Hay Faat Choi!