Chinese New Year

This years Chinese New Year begins on this Sunday, January 22nd, 2012.

The Chinese New Year is also known as the Spring Festival. This is China's biggest holiday of the year. This holiday falls on the first day of the new moon after the sun enters Aquarius (around the middle of January or later February of the Western calendar) . 2012 is The Year of the Dragon.

 Chinese are busy cleaning and decorating their homes with signs of good luck and good fortune, which the Chinese believe will ward off evil and attract good luck for the New Year. Lots of red color around.  Their most important task for a family is preparing the New Year food. The grocery store across the street has been crazy busy the last 2 weeks. Unfortunately I had to run over there again today. It was packed full of people...lots of bumping into people and people pushing trying to get past. I will never get used to this behavior.
On their New years eve all family gathers for dinner. Before dinner firecrackers will be set off. Then again at midnight and on new years day. ( so basically for 24 hours!) Firecrackers are believed to ward off evil spirits and venerate the gods. I believe they do this again on day 5 and another day sometime after that also.
Red envelopes are given containing gifts of lucky money.  The amount of money is not significant, it is the gesture of giving money that will bring good luck.  They are put underneath the kids pillows on new years eve to keep them safe for the new year. We are also told to give our driver a red envelope with cash to help celebrate the new year. Mark also gave his secretary one also.

This is a holiday for large family reunions and time to visit relatives. So there is a lot of traveling going on. Trains and buses are booked solid.

We were advised by many, many people to get out of China during this time. All business and most stores close for the week. We were told of huge numbers of people and endless fireworks and firecrackers at all hours of the day and night. So Mark and I will be leaving for Bali, Indonesia on Friday. Hopefully for a peaceful and relaxing time on the beach!

Last weekend Mark and I went to the Yu Garden area to see how it was decorated for the New Year. At some point the decorations will be lit at night but I guess this was not one of the nights.

"singing in the rain"