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Post by Henry on Jan 25, 2009 9:04:56 GMT -5
Dear Friends and Colleagues, Wishing you all a very safe, healthy, prosperous, and Happy Chinese New Year ! Henry
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Post by douglaslam on Jan 25, 2009 17:51:58 GMT -5
Thank you Henry for the kind thoughts. I, too, take this opportunity to wish all our members and friends a very prosperous New Year, good health and safety right through. I remember in my early years in Sydney, Chinese New Years were celebrated with barely a mention.Some of the shops and restaurants in Dixon St. Chinatown, actually chose to close for the day. The market gardeners certainly did not take their produce to the wholesale market in the Chinatown vicinity. The older generation then cling very close to tradition, their work was hard and they looked forward to an extra day off for celebration, feasting, and yes, gambling. How different things are now. Chinese New Year is now a mainstream event. In fact it is the biggest happening outside.Asia www.chinesenewyear.com.au The suburbs are very much into it with food stalls, displays, children's activity and more. Firecrackers, lion dance, and now the dragon, too, are integral part of the celebrations. In the past, lion dance was only seen in Dixon St. and surrounds. They are now extended to the suburbs, into the restaurants to entertain the diners. The diners are always generous with their appreciation in a most practical way, the red packets. I remember there were only two groups to perform for us, Gee Kung Tong, the Chinese Masonic Society and the Gao Yiu people's Yiu Ming Hung Fook Tong. Now, the field is rather crowded. We have the various kung fu schools, cultural groups and ethnic Chinese from Indo-China, they all want a piece of the action. So much so some shopkeepers find it becoming bothersome. Thus, there emerged a pecking order. Out of respect, Gee Kung Tong always gets the prime cut on New Year's Day proper. It is the oldest established tong, and has been doing lion dance for a century or more. Yiu Ming Hung Fook Tong, too, has a long history, and gets the first Saturday regardless. This is to do with the Gao Yiu people who are mostly market gardeners. They have Saturdays off. It is common to see three or four lion dance groups doing the rounds on the same day. That is a little too much of a good thing. Some shopkeepers especially the younger generation or non-Cantonese actually resent it. Yiu Ming Hung Fook Tong now tends to deliver its calling card to business houses run by Gao Yiu people only. What a difference a few decades can make.
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Post by raymond on Jan 26, 2009 5:55:09 GMT -5
Gung Hay Fat Choy! Sun Neen Fai Lork! For a quick primer on Chinese New Year traditions, here is an article of interest from honoluluadvertiser.com:
January 23, 2009
Celebrating Chinese New Year
Usher in Year of the Ox with a full family-style cultural, spiritual experience
Chinese New Year is, for us Honoluluans, one of those events that have come to be as much a part of our celebratory fabric as any other annual festivity.
Whether we engage in the celebration completely — with family gatherings, strict adherence to traditions and the belief that the party isn't only about having fun, but also about spirituality — or whether we just watch a lion dance or two from the sidewalk, there's no denying that Chinese New Year is one of our things.
And it's definitely Melissa Lum's thing.
Lum, a 22-year-old waitress, said she and her family spend more time and money on celebrating Chinese New Year, which this year falls on Monday, than they do on every other holiday combined.
"In our family, the biggest party of the year is Chinese New Year," Lum said. "We pull out all the stops, and we always have for as long as I can remember. We do it all. If it's related to some Chinese tradition, no matter how obscure, we do it. And it's super, super fun. It's a lot of work, but it's really fun."
Like, how fun? On a scale from one to 10?
"On a scale from one to 10?" Lum doesn't even hesitate for a second before saying: "It's definitely a 20."
So we got to thinking. Maybe this year it's time to join the party — really join the party — instead of watching it from a doorway on Maunakea Street. This year, how about doing Chinese New Year Lum-family style? Here's how:
Prepare yourself
The Chinese New Year celebration, like regular New Year's, starts on the eve, which is Sunday. Spend today and tomorrow preparing for the New Year's Eve festivities by doing the following:
1. Clean house. Get rid of everything that is associated with the old year.
2. Pay your debts. (OK, this might be difficult for most of us to achieve, but Lum said she honors this tradition by taking stock of her current financial situation and taking practical steps — like making a budget or pledging to up her savings — to make sure she doesn't spend her money unwisely in the new year.)
3. Make amends. Resolve any differences with family members, friends, neighbors and business associates.
4. Go shopping. Buy the following:
Red money envelopes (you can find these at any curio shop in Chinatown)
Oranges or tangerines, or both
Round — yes, it must be round — trays for holding candy
Flowers (Lum suggests plum blossoms or water lilies)
New clothes for the keiki in red or orange
New dollar bills to insert into the red envelopes (the money-stuffed envelopes are called li see). Banks here are used to getting requests for crisp dollar bills during this time, so no shame. Ask!
5. Prepare the food. Do all the cutting, slicing and dicing now, because it's considered bad luck to cut anything on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
On Chinese New Year's Eve, Sunday
1. Have a nice family dinner.
2. Pay respects to your family ancestors.
3. At midnight, open the doors and windows to symbolize letting go of the old year.
On Chinese New Year's Day, Monday
1. Decorate your home with symbols of good fortune, such as anything red or orange (the colors symbolize happiness and wealth), fruits (oranges and tangerines that symbolize good health and a long life), a round tray of candy (the candy symbolizes sweetness of life, the round tray symbolizes togetherness) and flowers (if flowers bloom on New Year's Day, it is believed that the coming year will be prosperous).
2. Eat good-luck foods like jai (for good fortune), noodles (for longevity) and whole fish and chicken (for prosperity; presenting them with the head, tail and feet intact represents completeness.)
Do's and don't's on Chinese New Year's Day
The Lum family's list of rules:
DO wear brand new clothes, and if the clothes are red, all the better. Children should wear new clothes and new shoes.
DO give two li see to each child. Don't just give one envelope — it is believed that happiness comes in twos. The Lums also give the envelopes to colleagues and friends.
DO greet each other with "Kung hee fat choy," which means that you wish each other prosperity and wealth.
DON'T wash your hair.
DON'T sweep the floor.
DON'T greet people who are in mourning.
DON'T drop your chopsticks.
DON'T say the number "four," which is a Chinese homonym for "death," or talk about death at all.
DON'T borrow or lend money.
The anatomy of an ox
This one's for you, ox people (you know who you are — and if you don't, keep reading). This is your year, or so says the Chinese zodiac, so move aside rats, and make room for your bovine counterparts. And if you don't really know what it all means, let us break it down for you.
Before there was a 'Year of the Ox'
First, a little Chinese Zodiac history. Here's how it works, in a nutshell: The Chinese Zodiac is based on a 12-year cycle. Each year of the cycle is named for one of the 12 animals, that, according to legend, were smart enough, strong enough, wise enough or clever enough to show up for a sort of imperial roll call where the animals of the zodiac were to be selected. The following animals showed up, in this order: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog, boar.
Each animal exhibits its own personality and characteristics, which are said to be the factors that determine the inherent human traits that are present in each of us. In the west we use star signs (Libra, Virgo, Capricorn, etc.), in China they use animals. Both systems — and the signs or animals that are assigned to their human counterparts — are based on birth dates.
There's more to the Chinese zodiac than just the 12 years and the corresponding animals, but it's all too complicated to get into here without boring the horoscope out of you, so we'll stop now. Just know this: 2009 is the Year of the Ox.
When an ox is born
If you were born in one the following years, you're an ox:
Feb. 6, 1913-Jan. 25, 1914
Jan. 25, 1925-Feb. 12, 1926
Feb. 11, 1937-Jan. 30, 1938
Jan. 29, 1949-Feb. 16, 1950
Feb. 15, 1961-Feb. 4, 1962
Feb. 3, 1973-Jan. 22, 1974
Feb. 20, 1985-Feb. 8, 1986
Feb. 7, 1997-Jan. 28, 1998
Jan. 26, 2009-Feb. 14, 2010
Behavioral tendencies
The ox stands for prosperity. But wait. Before you get all excited about being destined to be rich, there's more. It's prosperity through fortitude and hard work. So, yeah, all that work you do? That's meant to be. Oh well. You can't win them all, right?
Other traits of an ox include:
Modesty
Tranquility
Patience
Tirelessness
Dependability
Sincerity
Stubbornness
A lack of imagination
A tendency to lash out in anger when you don't feel secure
A dislike for anything new or different
A dislike for being told what to do
The compatibility factor
If you're an ox, you need a rooster.
According to the Chinese zodiac, the most compatible sign for an ox is the colorful rooster.
The mouse and the snake are also good for the ox because their nurturing tendencies appeal to the hard-working pillar of stoic strength (think alpha male and Donna Reed).
The dragon, rabbit and horse won't have a problem just hanging with the ox, but they'll never be tight.
The dog finds the ox BO-ring, and the ram and the tiger can't deal with the ox's need to be in charge.
Additional Facts
2009 Chinese New Year Schedule of Events
60th annual Narcissus Festival: traditional lion dance blessing and open house at various locations in Chinatown. 6-10 tonight Free
Chinatown open house: food vendors, ethnic dance troupes, live local music and martial arts demonstrations Chinatown Cultural Plaza 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday Free
Chinatown Festival: all-day block party, featuring food booths, traditional New Year's arts and crafts, live music, martial arts demonstrations and lion and dragon dances Maunakea Street 9 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Saturday Free
Night in Chinatown Parade: Starts on Hotel Street at the state Capitol and proceeds to Maunakea Street 4-6 p.m. Saturday Free
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Post by Woodson on Jan 26, 2009 13:06:06 GMT -5
Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and solved seeming impossible genealogy quests. With the help of a digital camera, Google and Youtube a Happy New Year niuyin.blogspot.com/
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Post by geeweilum on Jan 31, 2009 4:00:09 GMT -5
Gong Hay Fat Toy to you all also. It is a whole week of celebration as I understand it. Culminating in the traditional dinner after all of the visiting has been done. Chinese New year will be Celebrated in my city at the Chinese Seniors Mansion with many displays and activities. The Lion will do his dance to entertain all who come to witness the activities. Not far away in Chinatown the shop keepers will be lighting long strings of firecrackers and again the Lion will dance before the shops. In the evening a banquet will be held at the largest Chinese Restaurant in the city. Each of the tables seating ten diners. And each table will be represent each of the clan associations the Mahs, the Wongs ,the Lees and my clan the Gees. There will also be representatives there from the city and provincial governments to enjoy the traditional Chinese fare. This is all a preamble to my memories growing up in my fathers restaurant during WWII. Today there are about 60,000 people of Chinese decent living in our province. This is in contrast to the approximately 2000 to 3000 living here in the 1940¡¯s. We were rather a small community at the time because of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1923.
My recollections are of the small Chinatown that our father took us to after the days work was done and he could meet with his friends. I was fortunate to be able to learn some of the Chinese language and some of the traditions. At that time New Years was celebrated at the same time as the rest of the populace (Jan10). The restaurant was closed early on New Years Eve and preparations for the making of a vegetarian stew like dish called Lo Hon Jai was begun. The completion of the cooking of this dish coincided with the stroke of midnight. In spite of the war we were able to obtain firecrackers that we lit and threw out the front door to ward of the evil spirits on the eve of the New Year.
There was barbecued pork, roast duck and Soy Sauce Braised Chicken as well. It was quite a feast. Many of the bachelor friends were invited to partake of the meal with us. There were not too many fresh vegatables at the time as this is winter in the Canadian prairies and at that time transportation of fresh greens and vegatables was not as simple as it is today. However, there was a good stock of the dried and canned ingredients available to prepare our beloved Lo Han Jai. That was the highlight of my evening and continues to be today.
I and my siblings have remembered the 14 ingredients that go into this dish and we take turns in making it each New Years Eve. Unfortunately not all of our offspring have the same love of this dish. Many of the ingredients are strange to them so they partake of the other items prepared for the midnight feast. With the passage of time and the installing of stringent laws regarding fireworks we now have had to dispense with them. None the less we continue to celebrate the Chinese New at its appointed time each year.
It is interesting to read about Chinese New Years form other members from different parts of the world so I thought I would make my contriibution from the Prairies of Canada. Henry has been great in his encouragement for many of us in search of our roots and I would like to wish him continued good health happiness and prosperity. Many thanks, Henry, for without your input many of us would continue to flounder looking for our roots in China. It is a little belated but I wish we could have spent much more time together in Washington
geeweilum
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Post by Henry on Jan 31, 2009 7:20:01 GMT -5
Gong Hay Fat Toy - Geeweilum !
So nice to hear from you and to read your very interesting recollections of overseas Chinese life in Canada. I am sure overseas Chinese in other countries also enjoyed your account.
I am very happy to help anybody that would like to recover and reclaim their Chinese ancestry - I also learn when I try to help. Unfortunately, my help is limited because of my inability to read and write Chinese.
Please let me know in advance when you plan to visit Washington, DC again - it would be my pleasure to have you as my guest in our home and show you some sights or I will probably try to visit Vancouver, BC this year or next year and I will certainly come visit Edmonton.
Henry
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Post by skwdvm on Jan 31, 2009 11:07:16 GMT -5
Gung Hay Fat Choy to everyone. Thank you for your willingness to share your knowledge, our culture, and your experiences esp. travel and childhood memories. I would like to share an article from NPR and the link for the recipes for Chinese New Year Dishes. One is for Stir-Fried Scallops with Snow Peas and Peppers and Good Fortune Stir- Fried Garlic Lettuce. Bon Appetite! www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99434338
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Post by geoff on Jan 31, 2009 16:22:05 GMT -5
Raymond, thanks for your list of "do's" & " don't's".
Now I know why my luck is so bad. I start the year doing the "don'ts" & not doing the "do's". I'll keep in mind for next year as I've already destroyed my luck for this year. Could you remind me earlier next year?
Many thanks.
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