KUNG-HSI FA-TS'AL!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! As parents of Chinese children we try to intergrate Chinese customs and traditions into our family as much as we can. Chinese New Year being such a big holiday - we felt that it was important for us to celebrate it. We cooked all day (authentic Chinese food), put out the Money God in the front yard, and cleaned the house. Friends and family came from all over to eat and celebrate the new year with us. Here are some pictures:

What is Chinese New Year?

Of the Chinese festivals celebrated throughout the year, the Lunar New Year is the most important and spectacular. In ancient China, the New Year was a time when the emeror honored his subjects. Today, the New Year celebrates the coming of a new year and family reunion. Families welcome the new year as a clean slate. They clean their house from top to bottom to remove all traces of the old year and misfortunate. They pray to the Money God for wealth and good fortune. Bills are paid and old debts are settled. They wash their hair and get new hair cuts. Children get new clothes. Lots of food is cooked and placed in front of a Kitchen God- as an offering. A plump Kitchen God is a happy Kitchen God. The Chinese believe that it is the Kitchen God that visits heaven and reports to the Jade Emperor, the ruler of the world. In China, all businesses are closed for the entire celebration so that family can be together. This year is the Year of the Pig.

Sesame Street LIVE!

Oh what fun! We saw Cookie Monster, and Big Bird, and, and, and GROVER! We danced and danced. It was so much fun. We ate chocolate chip cookies too. We hope we go again.

Love, Sophie and Avery