This year I realized we have a very “adult” Chinese New Year celebration. Jeff and I both grew up with family traditions, but throughout the years, gatherings have gotten smaller, traditions have been outgrown, we basically now go out to eat and exchange red envelopes. This is fine, and totally works for our family, but to the girls (who are too young to value money), there isn’t anything really special or fun about this time of year. I remember when I was growing up how fun it was to eat all of the celebration foods, see family and friends, light firecrackers and see the lion dance, and I want my girls to have those same experiences.
I have put together a list below of how we will celebrate Chinese New Year. It is a combination of traditions from our families, things I’ve heard and read about, a combination of spending time with family and friends, remembering our culture, and celebrating the new year. I don’t know how to do most of the things on this list and will have to spend the next year figuring it out. If everything works out, our celebration next year will be much, much more exciting.
BEFORE NEW YEARS
- Clean house
- Decorate the house with red decorations, flowers, oranges, tangerines with leaves attached and pomelos
- Dye eggs red
- 8-course New Year’s Eve dinner with a spring rolls, whole chicken, clams in black-bean sauce, fish with head and tail, cellophane noodles, lobster, steak on bok choy, sweet and sour pork
- “May there be surpluses every year” – Leave some of the fish from dinner in the refrigerator
NEW YEARS CELEBRATION
- No meat New Year’s Day – eat Jai with lettuce and Sesame Balls
- 8-course New Year’s celebration dinner with dumplings, whole chicken, fish with head and tail, long-life noodles, lobster, braised lion’s head on bok choy, sweet and sour pork, peking duck
- Steam prosperity cakes “Faat go”
- Make turnip cake “Lo Bak Gao”
- Wear Red Clothing New Year’s Day and to celebrations
- Give red envelopes or lai see to children and unmarried adults, 2 per person
- Give away oranges and tangerines
- Scare away evil spirits with firecrackers or loud poppers
picture: 2012 Chinese New Year dinner with my Dad’s family at Yee Li (1 Elizabeth Street, New York, NY)