I wish you all a very happy and prosperous
Year of the Dragon!
| I have an affinity for Chinese kites and I may tell you why someday ... how's that for cryptic? |
Photo credit: sideshowmom from morguefile.com
| This photo was taken in the Forbidden City in Beijing. Gorgeous stonework. |
Photo credit: samhakes from morguefile.com
I remember when we lived in China how loud Chinese New Year was. Firecrackers exploded outside our windows day and night for a week.
I feel a little nostalgic that we're missing all the excitement--my crazy friends launching stuffed animals on rockets into the sky, for instance.
I remember lying in bed and watching a firework display directly outside my bedroom window. People spent hundreds, thousands of kuai on firepower. The more they purchased and fired off, the more good luck they were supposed to have in the coming year.
How about you? Have you ever celebrated Chinese New Year? Any memories? What Chinese zodiac sign are you (and that's not considered a pick-up line in Asia, so don't feel weird answering)? In full disclosure, I'm a snake.
As we say in Hong Kong (Cantonese):
Kung Hei Fat Choy!
And in Mainland China (Mandarin):
Gong Xi Fa Cai!
("May you become prosperous!")
We LOVE going to China town for Chinese New Year. It is so fun. I'm fascinated by you.
ReplyDeleteI haven't celebrated, but admired from afar. Love the Chinese way of things, but the closest I've been is Epcot.
ReplyDeleteI'm a Dragon!
ReplyDeleteHappy Chinese New Year to you Amy.
Well, I haven't exactly celebrated anything Chinese except for their food.
ReplyDeleteFor years I thought I was born in the year of a snake, but then my Chinese friends pointed out that since my birthday comes in the early part of Jan, I'm a dragon. Even cooler ...
So, I wonder whether you were involved in kite fights now ...
I have a Chinese (now American) sister in law, and they always celebrate Chinese New Year, giving our children those red envelopes with a little money in them. I'm a Tiger myself, but I do have a Dragon daughter (she's sweet as can be!). We're hoping to cook something Chinese for supper tonight!
ReplyDeleteAnd Happy New Year to you! I know my zodiac sign because I was reading about it just the other day in honor of the new year :) I'm a goat!
ReplyDeleteAs a kid, my father would take the family to San Francisco for Chinese New Year. All those firecrackers blasting and scattering red paper and the burning smell scared the hell out of me.
ReplyDeleteSincerely,
M-80
I'm a dog - and that's probably the only time I'll say that without any self-deprecation :-)
ReplyDeleteI haven't celebrated. But happy New Year to you!
ReplyDeleteHappy Chinese New Year! I've never celebrated it, but I have a friend who's Chinese and she told me about how much fun they had in their celebrations.
ReplyDeleteKung hei fat choy!!! My mom was born in the year of the snake. My father was a dragon. And I'm a dog. Last week I went to a banquet with 40 friends from Hong Kong and China. It was so much fun. After dinner, we broke out the karaoke and sang Deng Lijun songs and a few revolutionary ones, too!
ReplyDeleteHave a very prosperous Year of the Dragon!
I love that the fact we LIVE here, and our children were all BORN here, means that we're very familiar with the Chinese zodiac. We get a huge kick out of visits to America when Keturah (now 3 years old) announces matter-of-factly to friends and acquaintances alike (including her Sunday School teachers) that:
ReplyDelete"I'm a rat!"
"And Moyer's a pig, Daddy's a monkey, and Mommy's a snake."
I LOVE the responses of those who have no context for these declarations of our daughter. As it turns out, in American culture, we're a rather unsavory brood!
She even knows what place in the Chinese zodiac that our toddler daughter we're in the process of adopting was born into:
"Marilla's a tiger!"
I still haven't figured out what the American connotation for calling one a "tiger" is, though . . .
Cool! Happy Chinese new year. xx
ReplyDeleteHappy Chinese New Year to you! And that stonework really is amazing!
ReplyDeleteThat's really cool. The closest I've come to it is seeing the ads in the grocery store fliers for Chinese packed food.
ReplyDeleteHope you have an awesome Chinese New Year, Amy!
Happy Chinese New year, Amy, to you and your family.
ReplyDeleteAnd happy Chinese New Year to you too. It always looks like such good fun but I wouldn't like the week of firecrackers. I always find the sound of fireworks at night disturbing.
ReplyDeleteAwww any pictures of the festivities from when you lived over there??!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Year of the Dragon! :)
新年快樂! Happy Chinese New Year to you too!
ReplyDeleteWe are having a really fun time this year. We are surrounded by others that are celebrating, but not as much as TJ days. ;)
-MaDonna
Love the dragon kite! :o)
ReplyDeleteLove the pictures! Happy Chinese New Year and God bless!
ReplyDeleteThat stonework is amazing! And I don't know my sign...hmm, will have to research.
ReplyDelete