Sesame sticks: rectangular sesame treats If you haven't already heard, Monday marked the beginning of Chinese New Year. It's the Year of the Monkey in 2016 (the fire monkey, to be exact). Overseas, people get seven days off to celebrate the holidays. When we were visiting Taiwan, people looked at us funny because kids don't get winter break there--their time off is consolidated around the lunar new year. Besides meeting up with family, New Year is a great time to eat tried-and-true treats. … [Read more...]
Lucky Goldfish
March 23, 2015 3 Comments
"May you have abundance year after year." --Chinese New Year saying My daughter brought home home this art project from her Chinese school the other week: In Chinese writing, the characters meaning "fish" and "abundance" sound alike. It's lucky to have the fish motif displayed all around your home or business because it signifies wealth. During lunar new year celebrations, people often feast on whole fish (and if you eat it all during a meal, you get bonus points) for good luck for the … [Read more...]
Chinese New Year or Spring Festival?
January 26, 2015 9 Comments
"The Chinese ancient civilization attracts you." This year Chinese New Year lands on February 19, 2015. Since it's based on the lunar calendar, the start date of CNY shifts annually. The celebration typically lasts about fifteen days. A "Wood Goat" year is slotted for 2015, an event that only happens every 60 years. Since the 20th century, this festive time period has also been known as the Spring Festival in China. This is because when the Chinese adopted the Gregorian calendar in … [Read more...]
