Yesterday marked the start of the Chinese New Year Celebration!
It is a very major holiday in China lasting for 10 days (i think).
Everyone prepares for it by cleaning their homes from top to bottom.
They buy new clothes & shoes to wear on New Years Day (preferably in orange or red)
& they gather with family.
They exchange little red envelopes that have new-straight from the bank, $ inside.
Every year they assign an animal to represent the year. This is the year of the rabbit.
(Jyla was born in the year of the rat & Addalie was born in the year of the pig.)
When I was in Hong Kong & China in 1997(YWAM),
I was there over the Chinese New Year & got to see the festivities 1rst hand!
Everything closed down for days & the fireworks over the harbor in Hong Kong
were BY FAR the best I've seen to date!
When I was in Hong Kong & China in 1997(YWAM),
I was there over the Chinese New Year & got to see the festivities 1rst hand!
Everything closed down for days & the fireworks over the harbor in Hong Kong
were BY FAR the best I've seen to date!
We look forward to celebrating some of the Chinese cultures with Jyla.
There is a lot of ancestry worship associated with the holidays in China,
so we want to be somewhat discerning.
At the same time, we want to learn more about China & it's traditions.
This year we just ordered Chinese food & played Chinese music in the background (thanks to Pandora). Jyla was excited to have Lo Mein. Some year it would be fun to go up to NYC for the dragon parades!
this is NOT what Addalie had in mind when we told her there would be a cookie for dessert. She said "where are the chocolate chips mom?"
Tea is served ALL OF THE TIME in China.
In fact, when we first met Jyla, her foster parents had sent a little box of cold herbal tea (think juice box)
along with her because it is what she was used to drinking.
Scott & my mom were really starting to enjoy all of the hot tea when we were there
so Scott was excited to get "oolong tea" w/our food.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
4 comments:
ang, that is so wonderful that you are embracing all of jyla's heritage & culture. something she will appreciate as she ages, i am sure!
i will pray for wisdom as you learn what & how much to share with her and as you continue to adapt as a family.
what a blessing she is!
happy new year.
chúc mừng năm mới
(Happy New Year in Vietnamese) from our house to yours!!!
You guys did WAY better than us this year... although Khai wore his Tet (what Vietnamese call New Year) to pre-school yesterday...
on an interesting note, the Vietnamese decided to go rogue this year, in China and Cambodia its the year of the rabbit, and traditionally Vietnam is the same, but this year they decided to go with the rabbit...
Maybe next year we can plan ahead and celebrate together!
Hey Ang, Good to see you at Tilda's house last week! Your girls are so cute [and I love the pictures of Addalie dressing herself for church. Classic!]. I was in Taiwan during Chinese New Year and it was the year of the rooster. I still have my awesome Starbucks Year of the Rooster mug that I purchased in Taipei. :) The celebrations were fun *and annoying* as my sister and I were desperately trying to get some sleep, but the fireworks continued loudly all night long right outside our windows on the street below. Good memories! :)
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