Gong Hay Fat Choy!
I admit, I’m usually clueless about when Chinese New Year begins, because it doesn’t fall on the exact same day every year according to the Western calendar. I didn’t grow up in a very traditional Chinese family and my parents didn’t make a big deal about Chinese New Year. It was kind of an afterthought, like, oh yeah, Chinese New Year – did that already happen? Occasionally we’d get a red envelope with some lucky money, but we didn’t bet on it.
My kids attend a Mandarin language preschool and their knowledge of Chinese language and culture has far surpassed mine and my husband’s. Chinese New Year is the biggest event at my kids’ school. They learn songs and dance routines and rehearse for weeks to do a big performance every year. It’s the Year of the Horse, which is especially exciting for my daughter since she loves horses. Seeing how important the holiday is for my children at their school, I’m trying to bring the celebration home.
Being a Chinese New Year novice, I turned to my trusty cultural resource, Pinterest, to get ideas on how to celebrate the holiday with my kids. We made paper lanterns which was easy enough for the kids to do. I followed the instructions I found at Sophie’s World and the lanterns came out great. The kids drew designs on the paper before cutting and we used it to cover the nightlight in their room.
This afternoon, I’m attempting to make dumplings with the kids. We’ll see what a mess that turns out to be. Tonight, we’re having hot pot dinner with family at home, which is my favorite way to host a dinner. No cooking is involved. Just laying out raw meats, veggies, noodles, and the dumplings we (hopefully) make, and we boil it right at the table. It’s fun, easy and healthy.
I aim to report back on the dumpling project and post more details on the hot pot dinner later. If I were a better planner, I would have posted this before the New Year, so others could get ideas and prepare their your own celebration. But I didn’t know what day it was.
Wish me luck! And stay tuned.
-Catherine Lo
poche de maman 