7th February, is Chinese Spring Festival, this year is rat year. People like the year for rats, because rats can steal lots of things, it does not hurt people too, so people like rats year, it means this year is gentle, soft and also not lacks of money and food-- hehe--

 

In China, different years animals might conflict with other years. For example, the people who were born in the year of monkey, does not like the people who were born in the year of chicken, they will always argue. two people who were born both in tigar years, they had better keep a little distance. Another, people who were born in chicken's year had better not always get along with the people from dog's year. Also, girls had better avoid the year of Sheep, because old people always said the girls who were born in the sheep year are bad luck for at least one thing: healthy, marriage, love, friendship or families, or career--  Girls who were born in monkey's year is nice, so one of my girlfriend, she was born at end of the sheep year, but her father let her ID is monkey's year. He said:" I would like my little girl to be a happy and naughty monkey but not a sheep." You must feel very suprise for all these things, right--- hehe-- but this girl really does not have a good life, her dad died 3 or 4 years ago, she married a boy she does not love at all, her career is not good too. However, we did not see each other too long time, I just knew these-- Well, do not believe it too much, it is just a little part of Chinese culture, most Chinese people do not mind about it at all. 

 

On the eve of the spring festival, we always about lunch time, began to put blessing papers on the gate or door, and red lights in Chinese traditional lantern. About 5 or 6pm, we began to have supper which will be prepared for long time, or recently we just booked the restaurant and eat outside, whole families about 20 people or a little more. About 8pm, we went back one people's home and watch TV new year party together, but we play MaJiang, and cards, have snacks, and kis play together, some good skilled cooking people will stay in the kitchen and cook dumplings and put some cleaned coins into dumplings, also some dishes as while. 12am, we make fireworks, we celebrate and put all the dumplings into the boiled water, then we have another meal together, the people who can eat coins means next year will have good luck for money. After this meal, all the people go back home and rest. Some people will not sleep for whole night. Next morning, we got up about 6 am or 7am, I always go to my grandma's home ( on my father's side) go to have

dumplings, about 7am we make another fireworks again. I scare fireworks, now BeiJing forbidden for fireworks, so lots of BeiJing people drive their car and go to Tian Jing for play fireworks, in Chinese mind, without firework, that is not Chinese spring festival, but to me it is ok, because I scare fireworks   After meal, we will always  visit relatives and get red pack ( money) from older generation, but now I am older and I become the people who give red pack but not accept any more  However, it is still a happy thing  when I was little, I always accept red pack and say some blessing words, then save my money for something I like, but when I get older, my mum always told me:" ok, you are the member of our family, so you should put the money for our family account. hehe--  I had no way, leave little mount, then put the money into the family account.

 

Chinese new year will last totally 15 days, during this period, nearlly everyday, relatives will invite you to have meal, of course you will invite them too, we book the different dates to different people. Classmates( my high school classmates), friends--- all will stay together and have meal and talk and laugh and play, also take pictures--  The important days for Chinese new years are The even of Chinese new year, the first day of Chinese new year, the second day of Chinese new year  and the last day( 15th day) of the Chinese new year. All these days, all the families should stay together and celebrate together-- For the last day of the Chinese new year, we will have Tang Yuan, round and sweet balls, we boiled them and have together, it means all the families would be together always--

 

I like Chinese new year, but I did not passed for 4 years with my families, I miss that feel very much. This year, I still can not pass with them, some Chinese and singpore and Korean friends in Ireland invite me to celebrate together for the new year. Because all these countries have the same new year of China but not so traditional.  No matter what, dumplings are important to Chinese (  :