Chinese New Year

Today is the start of the Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival. This is the biggest holiday of the year on the Chinese calendar, and it kicks off a 15 day celebration full of traditional foods, activities, and festivities. It's a time to forgive anyone you may be angry with and to wish good luck and good fortune for everyone you know, something we could all use.

This particular year is the year of the dragon. Since dragons are known for their strength and luck, it's thought that this year will be one of prosperity and hope. If you happen to have been born in the year of the dragon (1964, 1976, 1988, and 2000 are the most recent ones) then according to Chinese astrology, you're a hotheaded person who makes friends and decisions easily. You can read more about your own year in The Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes.

If you don't live somewhere that facilitates an exciting New Year celebration to usher in the year of the dragon, you can host your own celebration. Start by giving your house a thorough cleaning; it's believed that this will remove all the bad luck and make way for good things to come. Then prepare a traditional Chinese New Year dish, like Buddha's Delight.

The kids in your life will love learning about Chinese New Year. Share the story of "The Dragon Parade" with them, and indulge them by participating in the tradition of handing out red envelopes full of cash. Make sure to include only an even number of dollars; odd numbers are associated with funerals. Eight dollars is the luckiest amount to include, and six is another popular choice.

To keep the holiday front and center, you can do as the Chinese do and wear red. It's not only the color associated with happiness and success, but it's also believed to help ward off bad luck. Full protection requires all red, all the time, but wearing some red undies will do the job.

How do you celebrate Chinese New Year?

Posted by Jessica Gezon