Chinese New Year parades like this one are popular with people from all different cultures Robert Amos dumplings my mother had started frying that morning There would be crispy shrimp chips sticky date cake and steamed cupcakes that looked like tulips And after that the big event a celebratory dinner at which our parents and uncles and aunts would trade happy stories and good wishes long into the night We ate prawns noodles soup steamed fish mushrooms and piles of greens all cooked by my mother For dessert we ate fresh fruit and more candy than we were ever allowed to eat the rest of the year Chinese people live in many cities throughout the world and Chinese New Year celebrations are a little bit different everywhere you go But my family like most other Chinese families in every part of the world always rings in the New Year with our loved ones good food and lots and lots of laughter Today now that I’m a mother I love following the same traditions with my son going to the Chinese New Year parade teaching him about the different customs and foods and using that time to talk 10
introduction with our extended family especially my mother She still cooks us a huge dinner and greets every single one of her grandchildren with a kiss and a piece of candy Chinese New Year is always fun but it’s important for me to teach my son that the celebrations are a snapshot of Chinese culture Every food item means something The Chinese zodiac and its twelve animal signs mean something The red envelopes of lucky money called lai see in Chinese we give and receive is more than just money This is also why I’m writing this book Chinese New Year is a popular and well-known holiday but like Christmas or Halloween it grew out of history and stories To understand Chinese New Year is to understand what makes Chinese culture unique And I want all of you to celebrate your next Chinese New Year with a deeper understanding of what the dragons and firecrackers really truly mean So keep reading What Kids Say About Chinese New Year I asked the children in my life all of whom are members of Chinese Canadian families to tell me their favorite parts of the celebrations Here’s what they said Money And seeing all our grandmas and grandpas And sitting in our uncle’s massage chair Samuel age 9 and Donna age 6 The party And eating with the family Maya age 7 Being with all the family and playing and stuff Sebastien age 9 The parade Because of the dragon thing I like the big mouth Oscar age 6 In the 1950s 60s and 70s when immigration to Canada and the United States was very high Chinatowns across North America were especially busy with families shopping for groceries tourists looking for souvenirs like porcelain Buddhas and lacquered chopsticks and young people hoping to hear live music 11
During Chinese New Year lanterns in the shape of the coming year’s zodiac animal are one of the most popular decorations kristyewing iStock com
one What chinese new year is all about Mythic Origins Chinese New Year also known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival is the biggest holiday in China in many other countries in Asia and for the communities of Chinese people who live all over the world There is gift giving lots of food and visiting with family and friends The celebrations often last for one or two weeks so it’s a lot like the winter holidays of Christmas Hanukkah and New Year’s Eve all rolled into one And its origins like those of Christmas and Hanukkah are thousands of years old Chinese New Year has been celebrated for so long that no one knows exactly when it began although some Drumming is prominent during Chinese New Year both to scare off evil spirits and to provide accompaniment to the lion dancers iStock com 13
