Preparing for Chinese New Year

As a Canadian-born Chinese American, the turn of the year is always elongated by Chinese New Year festivities as our new years follows the traditional lunar calendar and takes place usually weeks after the first of January. My childhood memories of this special holiday are marked with large family gatherings over traditional foods, receiving and giving oranges and tangerines as signs of goodluck and prosperity, receiving "lucky money" in little red envelopes to put under my mattress for goodluck, attending and participating in Chinese New Year festivals which include watching lion dances, martial arts and dance performances, plays about Chinese history and mythology, and burning incense in honor of our ancestors, amongst other things.

Chinese New Year's (also known as Lunar New Year's) is probably the most well known Chinese holiday that's celebrated globally amongst Chinese and Asian Diaspora and other cultures. The festivities customarily begin on Lunar New Year's Eve, which this year is February 11th, and continues for the next 7-14 days, concluding with the Spring Lantern Festival. The holiday marks the end of winter and beginning of spring, symbolically representing new beginnings and new life. At the Lantern Festival, it is customary for children to solve riddles written on paper lanterns that are usually red for goodluck. The lanterns are released - sometimes into the air, or into a body of water, the ritual representing letting go and starting anew.

However, before the festivities begin, those who adhere to this tradition take several weeks to prepare. While in many parts of the world people have already begun their new year in January, preparing and executing New Year's Resolutions, those who celebrate Chinese New Year's are still winding down and preparing for the turn of the season. Here are some auspicious ways to prepare for the Lunar New Year:

1. Clean your house. The ritual of cleaning your house and getting rid of things that no longer serve you prepares you for a lucky new year. Do not clean for the first three days of the new year.

2. Buy new clothes and new shoes and plan to wear them on the evening of New Year's Eve after bathing. These new items signify new beginnings - be sure to purchase these items before the New Year as buying them during the New Year period is considered bad luck.

3. Get a haircut. Along with new clothes and shoes, a new haircut signifies a new you and a new year. Again, don't get a haircut during the festival period as that is considered unlucky.

4. Prepare your lucky money. Known as "lai si," in Cantonese (my native tongue), lucky money is customarily given by married couples to children, grandchildren, their siblings, and single people, stuffed in little red envelopes. In my family tradition, we keep our lai si under our mattress for as long as possible for goodluck and prosperity.

5. Plan a festive dinner for Lunar New Year's Eve. The New Year's Eve dinner is usually a big family dinner with traditional foods. Our family would often do potlucks or have Chinese hot pot. While it's customary to have the traditional Chinese dessert soup Tang Yuan on the night of the Lantern festival, my father usually prepares Tang Yuan for us at midnight on Lunar New Year's Eve.

For 2021, many of us are wondering what the year of the Metal Ox has in store for us. The New Lunar Year begins on February 12th, 2021 and goes til January 31st, 2022. According to the Chinese Zodiac, the year is characterized by the element and animal it is assigned. The Ox is the second animal of the Chinese Zodiac and is characterized by its calm and calculate demeanor. Ox people are trustworthy, quiet, hardworking, have great strength, are naturally self-confidence, and have a good sense of fairness. A weakness an Ox person may have is their stubbornness - because they are so fixated on their path (comparable to the Western zodiac, Taurus), it can be difficult for them to be receptive to others' opinions.

For all signs, the year of the Metal Ox is an auspicious one. As Ox people are characterized by their patience, diligence and hardwork, the year is going to follow the phrase, "you reap what you sow." Keep a positive mental attitude, stay focused and work hard, and your efforts will be rewarded. 2021 Year of the Metal Ox creates space and time for us to regroup, recover and consolidate. This is a good year for longterm goal setting, financial planning, and getting your family affairs in order. This is also a harmonious year for relationships - intimate and platonic. Wear white and metal jewelry for goodluck.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for some traditional Chinese dishes - veganized!