Sun Neen Fy Lok,
Gung Hay Fot Choy!
Wishing you a prosperous New Year!
Contrary to common belief (outside the circle), Chinese New Year is not a one-day celebration, as is January 1 New Year.
You can't just say 'Gung Hay Fot Choy' and call it a day.
Beginning on the first day of the Chinese new year (each year the first day coincides with the new moon - this year it was Sunday, February 18th), the CNY celebration continues for 15 days. Yep. That's a lot of feasting and festing. Numerous visits back and forth and back again with relatives and friends. Many a bounteous meal. Laughter and bright decor and lucky money!
When I was a kid, CNY was bigger than Christmas at our house. That's right. Bigger than Christmas. As the years have passed and my moves have taken me further and further from (any) Chinese community, it's gotten tougher to recognize CNY for the huge holiday I've always known it to be. It's like losing a significant part of my tradition, and that makes me sad.
This year, I'm trying my best to recreate CNY in my life as something beyond the few (well-meant and sincerely expressed) Happy New Year Gung Hay Fot Choy greetings from family/friends. How to do that in a locale where the sale of 'oriental foodstuffs' in supermarkets is what defines and heralds the holiday? That will be my personal challenge...and what a challenge that be!
High spirits and focused determination, however, will prevail...
even if it means eating a fortune cookie a day for 15 days...
or practicing Cantonese....
Ai Ya!
and
Onward!
5 comments:
I'll do my part and visit your house for some Chinesey yumyums. okey dokey?
You, my deariest - are a Dollink through and through.
Are you making/bringing Chinese-y yumyums to add to the mix?
Gai Don (egg) pie, perhaps?
Wanna learn how to make it?
I will be happy to show ya!
;-)
can i come too? you know how i feel about chinese yummies :) in fact, i
love it so much, i gave it up for lent. only 45 more days until i can eat some dim sum again!
d
Unfortunate that Lent and CNY always occur at the same time!
Me too! I'll bring fortune cookies. (I know, I know, but they did flourish in SF Chinatown didn't they?)
I give up sweets for Lent which always precludes my birthday cake. (I got a waiver from the power above.) I usually fail anyway, the mind is willing, the taste buds/brain are weak!
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