Chinese New Years
... and wealth'. Give at least two Lai-See's to each child because happiness comes in two's. This is your way of passing good luck to the next generation. The common greetings are gongxi 'congratulations!' gongxi facai 'congratulations and be prosperous!' or gong-he-xin-xi 'best wishes for a happy new year!' The Eve of New Year's is perhaps the most exciting part of the event as anticipation creeps in. We have dinner that consists of a feast of seafood and dumplings signifying different good wishes. After dinner we would play cards and board games or watch TV programs dedicated to the occasion. Around 7:00pm, we would go to Chinatown for the parade and festivities. The streets are filled with happy people and one can see the performance of the dragon and lion dances. The most spectacular event of the Chinese New Year's festivities is the dragon and lion dances. The lion dance brings good luck. It is a tradition for the lion dancers to stop in front of a residence or business store, for it is said that it brings good fortune to the occupants and in return they present the lion dancers with some lucky money in a red Lai-See envelopes. The dance is performed by two dancers, one at the head and one at the tail of the lion. To enhance the 'life' of the lion, the eyelids, mouth and ears of the lion's head all move. The dance is accompanied by loud music played on a large drum, gong, and cymbals. The use of firecrackers, drums, gongs and cymbals are realted to the role of the lion in dispelling evil and bringing good luck- evil being afraid of loud noise. At midnight, the sky is lit up with fireworks. It is said to wear red clothing as this color is meant to ward off evil spirits. The colors black and white are associated with mourning and not recommended for such a specail occasion. Although celebrations of the Chinese New Year's vary, the underlying message is one of peace and happiness for family members and friends. On New Year's Day, we decorate our house with symbols of good fortune. The colors we most commonly use are bright red for happiness and gold or orange for wealth and happiness. Some flowers decorates the house to bring good luck. The flowers also symbolize rebirth and new growth. Banners and couplets are hung around the house with New Year wishes and symbols of good fortune in gold. "May you enjoy continuous good health", "May the Star of Happiness be upon you, the Star of Wealth and the Star of Longevity shine upon you" are espeically the positive couplets. Chinese New Year is very important to me and my family as well as to thousands of other Asian Pacific Americas. I especially value this special holiday because it is very important to everyone in my family. Getting together and having a sit down dinner with y family is imperative because it gives me a chance to spend more time with my relatives and learn more about the Chinese traditions and my background. However, when I start to think about the Chinese culture and my family traditions, I realize how unaware I am of most of hte meanings behi...