Gong Xi Fa Cai! Xin Nian Kuai Le!!!

Many of us will be celebrating Valentine’s Day today, but there is an opportunity to take part in another celebration— a holiday with tremendous significance to millions of people around the world. Today is also the first day in the fifteen day celebration of Lunar New Year.

Of all the Chinese festivals celebrated throughout the year, the Lunar New Year is the most important. In ancient China, the New Year was the time when the emperor was honored by his subjects, but in today’s modern world the New Year heralds the coming spring. In fact, in China the Lunar New Year is often called the Spring Festival.

Chinese families like to welcome the New Year with a clean slate. Houses are cleaned from top to bottom to remove all traces of the old year’s misfortunes. Windows are washed until they shine. Walls and gates are brightened with a fresh coat of paint. Everyone in the family gets a new outfit. All debts are settled before the holiday because traditionally, old debts couldn’t be claimed after the first day of the New Year (now THAT’s a tradition I could learn to like!)

On New Year’s Eve, a great feast is served and each dish has a special meaning. Fried spring rolls resemble gold bricks. “Yu”, which is the Chinese word for fish, sounds like the Chinese word for “surplus”, therefore most families will serve a whole fish to symbolize abundance. There are also candied fruits, uncut noodles, and lotus seeds. These foods symbolize riches, long life, and the blessing of more children. Dumplings symbolize family reunion. Some families hide a coin in one of the dumplings. Whoever gets the dumpling with the coin inside is said to have good luck in the coming year.

On New Year’s Day, red envelopes, called “hong bao”, containing money are given to children and servants. Only even dollar amounts are given to ensure luck in the New Year. Firecrackers are set off to frighten away “evil spirits” and bring prosperity. Finally, the entire family goes to watch the annual Dragon Parade. The dragon is a very important animal in Chinese culture, and once a year it appears to bring good fortune to everyone.

So what does “Gong xi fa cai! Xin nian kuai le!!!” mean? Wishing you prosperity in the new year! Happy new year!

I know what you’re thinking, “How does a Caucasian, photographer, farm girl from the hills of Tennessee know so much about Lunar New Year?” Because I am the mother of one of China’s precious daughters. My husband and I, along with our oldest son and my parents, traveled to China in December 2004 to adopt our “Peanut”. From the moment she was placed in my husband’s arms (yes, he got to hold her FIRST!) she has been a bundle of joy. The image below is literally seconds after we met her for the first time. She smiled as if to say, “Daddy, you’re FINALLY here!”

Five years later she is as smart as a whip and full of spunk. We can’t imagine our lives without her!  So in honor of my little girl, let me be the first to say, “Welcome to the year of the Tiger!”