Happy New Year!

We are in the midst of Chinese New Year, it is the Year of the Dog and the festivities officially began on January 29. Because Chinese New Year is based on the lunar cycle and not the solar cycle(as in the west). The Chinese New Year is a different date every year.

The New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. The 15th day of the new year is called the lantern festival which is celebrated at night with Lantern displays and children carrying lanterns in a parade.

New Year's eve and New Year's day are celebrated with family, it is a time of reunion and thanksgiving. There is also a communal feast called "surrounding the stove" or weilu.

The New Year begins by thoroughly cleaning the house. This is to sweep out the bad luck and to insure good luck in the New
Year. The house is then decorated with fresh flowers to represent a new beginning in the New year. Red scrolls are written and hung on both sides of the front door. The scrolls are wishing good luck and happiness.. The next way to ensure good luck is to get a haircut and wear your best or new clothes.

At midnight the family prays to their ancestors for a good year , then they light thousands of firecrackers to scare away the evil spirits.Of course then the feasting begins with many fancy dishes carrying specific meanings.

The best part of the celebration for children comes at the stroke of midnight , Everyone in the country turns a year older at the same moment . Children receive a small gift of red envelopes with "Good Luck Money " in them.

The following day is spent visiting and exchanging fruits, cakes and flowers. There is a huge parade with lion dancers, fireworks and a very long dragon at the end of the parade.

We had our own Chinese New year celebration. We had the extreme pleasure of having almost all of Mimi's sisters from our travel group come for their first Chinese New Year festivities.

We had quite a day. I had my mom and dad come and help out, I couldn't have done it without them.

Terry and I had planned several activities to do with the kids, all with flexibility in mind. We really didn't know how they would react to each other, what they would be afraid of, or what, developmentaly they were able to do.

We also had siblings joining us so we wanted to be able to entertain the older kids as well. We did the lion dance, we had little drums for the kids to bang around, we had coloring and we had fireworks.

The fireworks were the sheets of packing bubbles that kids could jump up and down on and make the sound of fireworks. This activity was very popular.

We had a chinese buffet, and Kathy, Anna's mom brought traditional almond cookies, candied watermelon ,sesame rolls and an array of other goodies. She also brought the kids red envelopes with a new silver dollar in them.

I had so many activities that I wanted to attempt but Terry ws the voice of reson, he kept reminding me that we had many years to come to celebrate.

Terry's dad also came and documented a lot of the afternoon for us. We are so indebted to him because the whole event was such a blur.

Later in the afternoon and evening Auntie's and Uncles, Nana and my friend Michael came, It was a truly wonderful day and one we won't soon forget.

Mimi's sisters are so beautiful, happy and full of energy.

I have so many pictures to post that this may take a few days.