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Gung Hay Fat Choy
by Kaila Chan

Gung Hay Fat Choy! Happy Chinese New Year! We Chinese have a great love for our rich history and traditions. By far, I'd have to say that Chinese New Year is my family's favorite holiday.

Although Chinese New Year typically starts at the end of January or early February, the actual preparations for this special time begin in December. The first order of business is to scrub our house clean, from top to bottom. Okay, I confess this is not one of my favorite rituals of Chinese New Year, but it has to be done. I remember my father making my brother and me clean the four sets of venetian blinds in our living room and dining room. He gave us a bucket of soapy water and a couple of sponges, and we were to clean each individual blind separately. The edges of those blinds were awfully sharp, and by the time we were finished with this chore, my fingers would be raw and bleeding. I hated cleaning venetian blinds. I'm sure there were other household chores to be done, but none stands out in my mind as much as those blinds.

My favorite part of Chinese New Year was going to my grandparents' house for dinner. In those days people didn't dress casually when visiting revered grandparents. We had to wear our Sunday best, which was fine by me because I loved dressing up. My father is the oldest of ten children, so there were tons of uncles, aunts and cousins at the house. It was always so much fun playing with my many cousins. My grandmother would spend most of the day cooking, and in addition to the food she prepared, each auntie would bring a dish or two. My grandfather's specialty was his hot apple pies. I remember watching him roll the dough, using an old Coca Cola bottle as the rolling pin. Dinner was usually comprised of steaming hot chicken, savory duck with shrimp chips, fish (lots of fish), platters of vegetables, rice and special soup. I always hoped for Sharkfin soup, as that was my favorite, but seaweed soup or egg drop soup was just as good. Each dish had a significant meaning, usually something having to do with long life, happiness and prosperity. After dinner, tangerines and "thousand year old eggs" were passed around, along with small, delicate red envelopes engraved with gold writings. These magical envelopes always had money in them, and we cousins always made sure we put those envelopes away for safe keeping. The origin of the red envelopes was to make sure each family had enough money to pay their debts. The beginning of each year should always start off "debt free".

I also remember going to Chinatown each Chinese New Year. There would be games, food (remember, we Chinese love to eat), and the famous Dragon Dance. In all the years of going to see the dragons, I never once saw a friendly dragon. They were always ferocious looking with big bulging eyes and a mouth that opened so wide you'd think three or four little kids could be gobbled up in one bite. For a young girl, it was quite frightening watching this huge red dragon hopping and dancing down the street. The dragon was so big that several people had to hold up the head and body. As the dragon danced up and down the street, children would run and scream and sometimes throw firecrackers at the legs of the dragon. I remember thinking, "No, no don't make the dragon mad!" When the dragon passed my side of the street, I always made sure I was far back in the crowd, where he could not see me.

2002 is the Year of the Horse. Babies born this year will be very outgoing, likable and popular.  Horses are strong-willed and enjoy large crowds, especially if the crowd is of the opposite sex.  Horses are hard workers and good with money.  

I wish everyone a Happy Chinese New Year. May good luck and good fortune smile on you.



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