The Year Of the Dog

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 3:43pm

No, I don't mean the year I wasted with the duplicitous sleazy boyfriend.

It's Chinese New Year's Eve today, the year of the dog. If you were born in 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, or 2006, this means you! (According to the Chinese Zodiac - "Like the dog, you are honest and faithful to those you love, although you also can be somewhat eccentric and very stubborn at times! For dogs in 2006, any recent setbacks or obstacles can be overcome so look forward to a year in which to really shine, either personally or professionally.")

So Gong Hay Fat Choy to all of you, peace, prosperity, blah blah blah. Even if you're not Chinese, it's a good excuse to harden that stomach with a 12-course Chinese dinner! This is my favorite time of year - I'm OBLIGATED to eat a lot, and often, and my elders are OBLIGATED to give me money in red packets since I'm young and single. (Then again, CNY will end around Valentine's Day, so the reward is cancelled out.)




What we'll be up to:

The 15-Day Celebration of Chinese New Year


Reunion dinner
A reunion dinner is held on New Year's Eve where members of the family, near and far, get together for celebration. The New Year's Eve dinner is very large and traditionally includes chicken. Fish (ô~, y¨²) is included, but not eaten up completely (and the remaining stored overnight), as the Chinese phrase ÄêÄêÓÐô~/ðN; (ni¨¢n ni¨¢n y¨¯u y¨², or "every year there is fish/leftover") is a homophone for phrases which could mean "be blessed every year" or "have something leftover every year", since "y¨²" is also the pronunciation for "leftover". A type of black hair-like algae, pronounced "fat choy" in Cantonese, is also featured in many dishes since its name sounds similar to "prosperity". Hakka will serve kiu nyuk (¿ÛÈâ) and ngiong tiu fu. Because the things sound alike, the belief is that having one will lead to the other, like the old child's aphorism "step on a crack, break your mother's back".



First day of the new year
New Year's day is also celebrated within the family. Usually family members gather on the morning of New Year's Day. It is at this gathering that red envelopes are given to unmarried members of the family. The age of the recipient is not material to receiving the envelope. Married couples usually give out two red envelopes on the first new year after being married. This is because the wife presents one and the husband presents one. In subsequent years they may give one as a couple.

Red envelopes traditionally consisted of amounts which were considered multiples. Amounts like $2 (two piece of $1), or $20 were acceptable. Similarly "multiples" such as $1.10 and $2.20 were also acceptable. However, this is not strictly adhered to. The gift was originally a token amount but these days it is not uncommon to receive large sums in affluent families. In some families this tradition has evolved into the practice to substituting money-like instruments (stocks, bonds, unit trust) in place of large sums of cash.

Red envelopes are also given to unmarried visitors but the sums are often smaller than the envelope given to family members or close friends.

Seventh day of the new year
The seventh day traditionally is known as the common man's birthday, the day when everyone grows one year older. It is also the day when tossed fish salad, yusheng, is eaten. People get together to toss the colourful salad and make wishes for continued wealth and prosperity. This is celebrated primarily amongst the Chinese in Southeast Asia, such as Malaysia and Singapore, a tradition which may mean nothing to other Chinese.

Fifteenth day of the new year
The fifteenth and last day of the new year is celebrated as Chap Goh Mei, marked by the eating of tangyuan (Simplified Chinese: ÌÀÔ²; Traditional Chinese: œ«ˆA; Hanyu Pinyin: t¨¡ngyu¨¢n), a sweet rice dumpling soup. Depending on locality, the same day may also be celebrated as the Lantern Festival, or as the Chinese Valentine's Day.



http://www.educ.uvic.ca/faculty/mroth/438/CHINA/chinese_new_year.html




In reality, I'll be forced to stuff my face while my family tells me how fat I'm getting, and accepting money for being young and single while being asked why I'm not married yet. It's a tough time of year.

---

"It's not always about you!!!" (But if you think I'm referring to you anyway, then I probably am.)

"Good luck returning my ass!" - Wilhemina Slater

"This is my breakfast, lunch and f***ing dinner right here. I'm not even f***in' joking." - Colin Farrell

Updated On: 1/28/06 at 03:43 PM

[wexy]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 4:02pm

I'm off in a couple of hours to a Chinese New Years party at Evergreen Shanghai.

[liotte]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 4:07pm

Happy New Year Tiff! Hope you get lots of money!

[beacon1]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 4:35pm

Happy New Year, Tiff---and I'm one of the folks in the Year of the Dog category.

"Like the dog, you are honest and faithful to those you love, although you also can be somewhat eccentric and very stubborn at times! For dogs in 2006, any recent setbacks or obstacles can be overcome so look forward to a year in which to really shine, either personally or professionally."

faithful to those I love...eccentric...stubborn...yep, that's me!

And, I'm assuming that shining personally or professionally means my mission--er--trip to NYC will be successful... :o)

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 4:39pm

Happy New Year.

I am Year of the Dragon myself, but much love to those born the year of the Dog!

[Dollypop]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 4:41pm

Year of the Dog? Is this a reference to IN MY LIFE or LESTAT?
Or both?

[wexy]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 4:43pm

Actually, I'm a monkey.

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 5:00pm

This looks remarkably like my family's usual Chinese New Year's Eve dinner (prepared ALL by my mom).

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 5:07pm

Wow, all prepared at home? Impressive! My parents do the New Year's Day dinner at home, but New Year's Eve they'd rather just plunk down the money and not worry about it.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 6:24pm

Happy New Year to you, and to all those who are celebrating.

I wish you peace, joy and prosperity.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 6:28pm

Happy New Year to all!

[PalJoey]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 6:33pm

Mis Holly's wish for all

is that this New Year of the Dog

should be a Good Year of the Dog



and not a bad dog, like Miss Holly is.

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 6:35pm

Cutie!

[Marlene]

Posted: 1/28/06 at 6:43pm

Happy New Year! <3