Did you know that 1 in 4 people in the world celebrates the Lunar New Year? It was only recently did I learned that the so-called “Chinese” New Year is not just celebrated by the Chinese. Apparently, it is also celebrated in Korea, Vietnam, Mongolia, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and other countries in Southeast Asia. In my family, we celebrate the Chinese New Year primarily by feasting. Because I had to get back to school by sunday night, my family decided to celebrate/feast on saturday. We had some delicious homemade hot pot for the main course and tangyuan for dessert. As for the custom of receiving red envelopes, I can’t remember the last time I got one of those.
2009 is the Year of the Ox. Speaking of which, did you know that President Obama was born in the Year of the Ox? (1961) According to the Chinese zodiac, people who are born under the sign of the Ox are said to be hardworking, tolerant, persistent, and possess an innate ability to achieve great things. They are also truthful, sincere and rarely driven by financial gain. So let’s all hope that President Obama really embodies these traits and make some positive changes to America.
Lastly, I just want to briefly mention that the stamp that the U.S. Postal Service has recently released in celebration of the Year of the Ox is designed by the Asian American stamp artist Kam Mak. Mak was born in Hong Kong, and in 1971, his family moved to New York City’s Chinatown, where he grew up. He has been chosen to design the series of Chinese New Year stamps starting from 2008.
Next year is the Year of the Tiger, and New Year’s Day will fall on February 14, 2010. (on Valentine’s Day!)
Some upcoming events in San Francisco…
January 31
Miss Chinatown U.S.A. Pageant
7:30 p.m., Palace of Fine Arts Theatre
3301 Lyon St. at Bay St.
February 7
Chinese New Year Parade
5:15 pm – 8 pm
Market and Second Sts. to Kearny and Jackson
Highlights include elaborate decorated floats, costumed elementary school groups, stilt walkers and the 201-foot-long Golden Dragon “Gum Lung.”
(Source: sfgate.com)