Lunar New Year: Year of the Dragon

 

Lunar New Year, or Chinese New Year is known as the Spring Festival in China and is celebrated in many East Asian countries. It is a time of seeing out the previous year and ushering in the new one with luck, prosperity, and health. From the time I was born, this was the biggest holiday that we celebrated. This is the one mom hosted every year, the week was spent cleaning and shopping for all of the traditional treats and food. Our loved ones would join us for prayer and a feast. When my parents lived in Laos their parents and ancestors held the feasts.

This year marks the first year that mom was not home to host the celebration. She has been here with us visiting. My cousin picked up the torch back in my hometown and my children got to experience their first Chinese New Year with their Matou. I have made traditional foods during this time for my family in years past. I have never truly held the celebration with all the customs I had growing up.

We cleaned the house and made sure it was ready for family and loved ones. A cleansing away of the old so to speak. On the day of there would be no sweeping, as this symbolizes sweeping away good luck. Of course, this is madness with two standard poodles and two teens. Dust and dirt anyone? Thank goodness my mom said yes you can sweep just push the piles off to the side, you just don't want to take them out and dispose of them until after.

 The week of the celebration we shopped for traditional foods and items we would need. This year I took the time to ask my mom so many questions about which foods, why those foods, how she celebrated as a child, who hosted (her parents), etc.  

Items we shopped for:

Red Envelopes: Lai see (In Mandarin), Song Dang (Lao for "envelope" and "red") - not that we didn't have a bunch lying around but for me Red Envelopes are like Poultry seasoning at Thanksgiving. I always pick some up.

Incense: Toob in Lao

Fake money, fake gold bars, paper clothing to burn

Tea

Candied fruits

Fresh fruits

Snacks

Roast duck was reserved for pick up

Fish

Chicken

Noodles

Once all of the food is prepared and the table is set my mom lit some candles outside and opened the front door. A prayer is said to invite our ancestors to come to the feast and eat. After an hour we moved outside.

Fake money, gold printed on paper, blessings for health and prosperity, and paper clothing are all burned for our ancestors to use in the afterlife. Archaeological evidence supports the use of spirit money as early as 3,000 years ago

After, we all celebrate together and eat.

Red Envelopes are passed out to unmarried guests and the children.

I hope you have a happy, healthy, abundant New Year!

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