Celebrating Chinese New Year

Saturday the 13th was Chinese New Year's Eve. Vi went home to Heyuan to spend it with her family. I didn't go this year, but I will next year. One of my students' parents invited me to their house for dinner so I accepted.

I got picked up near my apartment around 3:00 and we went back to their apartment. It was Jim (my 4 year-old student), his mom and dad, his mom's brother and his son. We sat and talked for a couple of hours before dinner. Jim's dad, Josh, got his MBA at Michigan State so his English is very good and he's a pleasure to speak with. We mainly watched "Tom and Jerry" to keep Jim happy and quiet, well, "less loud" would be more appropriate.

Jim's mom cooked dinner for us. We sat down at the table while she continued cooking in the kitchen. The food was great. She's from Sichuan where they eat spicy food and Jim's dad is from Fujian where my favorite dumplings come from so it's a great culinary mix. We also drank some grape wine that her family had made and sent to her. This was a traditional part of New Years for her family.

After dinner, we set up some fireworks and watched more Tom and Jerry, waiting for the clock to strike midnight. After the fireworks slowed down Josh drove me back to the apartment. Overall it was a nice evening.

I'll share some New Year's traditions that I've heard from different people. Traditions typically vary depending on what part of China you're from, just like the language.

- The biggest tradition is called "hong bao," this is a red envelope that you put money in. Typically, if you're married you give the envelopes to any elders in the family, all children and much older people (family or not). If you're single, you don't have to give money and everyone should give it to you.

- Everyone should shower and put on clean clothes no later than noon on New Year's Eve.

- Nobody should shower until the third day of the new year. So you would go 2.5 days without a shower. I don't know why.

- Every house should have red door decorations to bring good luck in the new year to the family.

- No meat is allowed to be eaten during the first 2 days of the new year.

- Everyone must eat fish on New Year's Eve. It's considered financial good luck for the new year.

- Many people believe one should wear red underwear on the first day of the new year.