Gong Xi! Gong Xi!

Allow me to enlighten you on some of the intricacies of the Chinese New Year from my end of the timezone....

*Ang paus (red little packets of money given to the single and kids by the married and elderly. As single person/child gives an elderly/married person a tangerine and wishes Gong Xi Fa Cai! and in return they get the red packet with money inside: ), *steam boats(cooking device mostly circular with lots of boiling water set at the table and everyone sits around the table and dips in whatever food they would like steamed usually put onto a stake) and traffic mayhem in Asia!a busy Tuesday it is in the cultural/religious sector of things.

Today the Chinese community ushers in the new year with gongs, lion dances, mandarins(tangarines), ang paus, food galore. For the non-chinese the best thing is getting 3 days off from work YES!!, getting invited to lots of dinners and enjoying peace and calm in the city as most people have left for their hometowns for the celebration.Red is the color of the season because the Chinese are very very keen on 'prosperity'. Whatever you do, DO NOT WEAR BLACKon the first day of chinese new year! you are reducing your prosperity!This is the 'year of the rooster' so anyone born in 1969,1981,1993,2005 (calculate +/- 12) should celebrate with double vigour for its your year.
According to one website: 'The sign of the Rooster indicates a person who is hard-working and definite about their decisions. Roosters are not afraid to speak their minds and can therefore sometimes come across as boastful. They make good restaurant owners and world travellers.Famous people born in the Year Of The Rooster:Michael Aspel, Yoko Ono,Rod Stewart, Mia Farrow, Eric Clapton

Like the 12 days of christmas, there are 15days of chinese new year;
Chinese New Year Eve(today) - on this night all families gather together and have the re-union dinner
Day 1- On this day there is visiting of friends and families and on this day the meals are mostly vegeterian
Day 2 -The Chinese New Year Officially starts
Day 3 to 6 - Nothing special occurs here
Day 7 - Everyone celebrates their birthday
Day 8 - The eve of the *Hokkien New Year(Hokkien is one of the many chinese dialects) . Lots of celebration by the Hokkien community and on this night you hear lots of crackers go off (in areas where the government hasnt stopped it yet)
Day 9 - The Hokkien New Year
Day 10 to 14 - Nothing special happening
Day 15 - Chap Go Meh. This is a good one, The chinese belive that on this day, any woman who is looking for a husband should head for the river and carry some oranges. She then throws them into the river and ideally the man of her dreams is the one who retrives her oranges from the river. If she throws in smooth skinned oranged then she gets a smooth skinned husband. If not, well dont say you havent been educated:) So girls, perhaps you should be stocking up on those oranges and start scouting for a suitable river;) Good Luck!

Prior to all this, make sure you go for some 'Yee Sang' : raw fish and an assortment of vegetables all in one bowl. All present at the meal then help to mix the ingredients with their chopsticks all at one go and tossing the mixture up and back into the bowl. As you toss you should loudly state what your wishing for in the new year and wish each other prosperity. Quite a colorful, noisy but warm occassion. Everyone then sits down to round after round of food, food and more food.

....and so this festive season, I wish one and all, Gong Xi Fa Cai!(pron. Gong-Si-Fa-Chai) i.e Wishing you prosperity

psss: The Chinese New Year is not a religious festival but a cultural one...In China they get one week off from work!

Other stuff this Tueday:
- The Catholic community worldover prepares for the lenten season.To this group of people I wish a blessed Lenten season.
- Many a pancake shall be consumed by the English in honor of 'Shroue(*sp) Tuesday' a day before the start of lent.You can imagine Im scrolling through my address book checking for any English folks that may be in town:)

Gong Xi Fa Chai!