so for more than two billion chinese people around the world, it’s the lunar new year…it’s a holiday that i’ve been celebrating my entire life…this year, it means a little more i suppose…i always treasure the moments i spend with my grandparents…money or not (though it’s good to always get money on new years, it’s a tradition where the older generation gives money to the young), i know that they’re getting on in age, and can’t move as freely as they once did…
i wish them all the health in the world…whether they know it or not, they are part the rock that keeps me sane.
so 2006, it’s the year of the 
…(it’s a dog…can’t you see it??!!)
here’s a brief explanation of who what when where:
Chinese 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.
The Chinese calendar is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. The lunar cycle is about 29.5 days. In order to “catch up” with the solar calendar the Chinese insert an extra month once every few years (seven years out of a 19-yearcycle). This is the same as adding an extra day on leap year. This is why, according to the solar calendar, the Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year.
New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving. The celebration was traditionally highlighted with a religious ceremony given in honor of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the household and the family ancestors.
The sacrifice to the ancestors, the most vital of all the rituals, united the living members with those who had passed away. Departed relatives are remembered with great respect because they were responsible for laying the foundations for the fortune and glory of the family.
The presence of the ancestors is acknowledged on New Year’s Eve with a dinner arranged for them at the family banquet table. The spirits of the ancestors, together with the living, celebrate the onset of the New Year as one great community. The communal feast called “surrounding the stove” or weilu. It symbolizes family unity and honors the past and present generations.
so, in the spirit of tradition…here’s some good wishes for all:
and to everyone…have a very healthy, safe, and prosperous new year. May this year bring you success, love, and whatever else you may be looking for…
~ciao
steph
Pook Says: