Gung Hei Fat Choy!

Happy Chinese New Year!

We decided to do the thing right this year, because we needed an excuse to throw a party. As Lola's friend Ella wasn't available for our Western New Year Extravaganza, a reprise (with an Asian twist) was in order. The girls were both born in the Year of the Dog, so this was an extra special treat.

The activities were fun, if not universally successful. The sweet and sour pork was delicious. I used about a four-month supply of oil, but oh, it was tasty. The homemade fortune cookies were inflexible, so we ate them flat and they just took the fortunes from the stack and read them to each other. Fortune cookies aren't really Chinese, anyway, so we weren't worried about contracting any bad luck from that. The door banners turned out cute, even though the girls haven't studied Chinese calligraphy, and the Kitchen God now presides over our kitchen, keeping us safe from grease fires and hot water burns. We also have a red lantern in our kitchen, which gives one the feeling of entering a brothel, which is cool, if you like that sort of thing. There was a big confetti fight, which means I'm still picking tiny pieces of paper out of the carpet, even after Ella's mom and dad crawled around our living room for half an hour on the night in question, searching for items the Home Maintenance System missed. (I think they felt slightly guilty about allowing Ella to sneak that stuff into my house and throw it around without my permission.)

Here are some things we learned about New Year traditions:

1. It is not a good idea to shower on New Year's Day, because you might wash away all your luck. Those of us who didn't take this to heart and shower Saturday night are already feeling the effects.

2. It is not a good idea to cry on New Year's Day, because then you will be crying all year long. This conversation took place Monday morning:

Lola: Mom, I cried yesterday.

Me (already forgotten about the bad luck thing): When?

Lola: Remember, when I got my feelings hurt during our lesson?

Me: Oh, right. Well, that's okay.

Lola: But now I'm going to be crying all year long.

Me (light comes on): Ohhhh. Right. Well, look at it this way: you probably would have been crying all year long anyway.

Lola (brightens): Yeah, you're probably right.

So no harm done.

3. It is not a good idea to greet people in your pajamas on New Year's Day. I can't remember why. Fortunately, by the time we started receiving guests, it was late afternoon, and most of us were already dressed.

4. Knives and scissors should not be used on New Year's Day. It cuts off luck. I'm hosed.

The holiday lasts fifteen days, so it's not too late to start celebrating. Make sure you visit your in-laws and pay respect to them this Wednesday and Thursday, and drink some V-8 on Saturday (I'm having mine today, due to the liquid diet--it's yummy). Next Tuesday through Thursday you'll be having friends and relatives over for dinner, so please contact me early, because I expect our calendar will fill up quickly. Also, I need time to consult with my almanac (aka Mapquest), to find out the luckiest route to your house. It would be sheer folly to leave such a thing to chance.

The thing I love about all these little traditions and superstitions is that even though most Chinese don't really believe in them anymore, they still hold to them, because they promote family togetherness. And this is good, no matter how silly the tradtions seem to our western minds.

So here's to family unity and new cultural experiences. And may you have all the luck you need and deserve throughout the coming year.