Lunar New Year 2016
This year, the Lunar New Year will begin on Monday, February 8. It is the biggest event of the year for Chinese people and Chinese emigrants throughout the world. Although there are various styles of celebrating the Lunar New Year, the spirit behind these celebrations is the same. The beginning of the New Year marks a time for a fresh start, so people try to clean up everything completely and tie up loose ends before the end of the previous year. On New Year’s Day, people wear new clothes. This day people also pay their respects to their ancestors, so it is a family reunion day rather than a day for dining out and partying. Families go to temples to pray for deceased family members and offer them special Near Year foods.
The symbolic color of the Lunar New Year is red. Streets and houses are decorated with red ornaments bearing the characters for happiness, prosperity, peace, and spring, among others. Chinese communities literally turn red. Kids receive money from relatives in red envelopes known as hong bao.
Lunar New Year parades attract many spectators, not only those of Chinese descent, but also people outside the Chinese community. The lion dance (not a dragon dance) is the main performance of the parade. The traditional dance is based on a Chinese myth about people successfully driving away monsters. The dance has evolved as the Chinese diaspora has spread throughout the world. There are two main versions: the northern lion dance and the southern lion dance, and the latter is seen more often in the world because more Chinese immigrants are from the southern regions of China.
Firecrackers also enhance the excitement of the parade. You may think firecrackers for the Lunar New Year are too noisy and perhaps scary, but these are meant to drive away evil spirits, so they should be scary! Many people are willing to endure that noise once a year in hopes of staying away from misfortune the rest of the year.
The Lunar New Year celebration culminates with the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunar calendar, which is the first full moon of that lunisolar year. During the event, countless lanterns are hung, decorating temples and streets at night. There are several legends associated with the festival, but the lanterns are almost always red, the color of good fortune.
Lunar New Year cuisine also differs from place to place, although there are some significant similarities. People in most regions eat something wrapped and stuffed (dumplings, spring rolls, banana leaf–or bamboo skin–wrapped sticky rice), something long (noodles), and money-like fruits (tangerines and oranges). Fillings, toppings, and sizes vary depending on the culture, but all foods symbolize good things like abundance, longevity, and prosperity. Whole fish is also symbolic main dish in most Lunar New Year celebrations.
Japanese people celebrate the first day of the New Year as well, but in a very different way. Called Setsubun, the celebration is accompanied by a special ritual of throwing beans to clean away all the evil of the former year in the lunar calendar and drive away disease-bringing evil spirits from the year to come. Roasted soybeans are thrown either out the door or at a member of the family wearing an oni (demon or ogre) mask. The throwers chant “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” (“Get out, demons! Come on I, good luck.”)
Japanese people also customarily eat soybeans – one for each year of one’s life (if you are 25 years old, you eat 25 beans) – to usher in good luck. In some areas, people eat one bean for each year of one’s life, plus one more for good luck for the year to come (if you are 25, you eat 26 beans). Also, there are some regions where people bite into futomaki (big sushi rolls) without cutting them at all. They believe that your wish will come true if you bite into an uncut futomaki known as an echo-maki. The “roll” symbolizes “rolling good luck in,” and to bite the “uncut” roll represents not cutting this good fortune.
“Work With What You Got!”
© Victoria Hart Glavin Tiny New York Kitchen © 2016 All Rights Reserved
Don’t Eat Anything Your Great-Grandmother Wouldn’t Recognize As Food. – Michael Pollen
My Great-Grandmother, Libby (pictured here), was of Czech stock. Her mother came from Prague and settled a little town in Nebraska, which was named Prague. How original! Somehow Libby made it to Lincoln, Nebraska where she lived for many many years. She lived in an old farmhouse on the edge of town. Neighbors had milking cows in their backyards and Libby kept chickens, which were NOT for eggs. When we would pull up to her house for chicken dinner I can vividly recall seeing fresh blood next to an axe on a big old stump. Feathers everywhere. Yes, it certainly was a very fresh chicken dinner complete with homemade dumplings.
10 Steps For Staying Happy Through The Holiday Season
Thanksgiving is almost here which marks the beginning of the holiday season. With so many holiday pressures often times we forget what truly is important. We are busy shopping, cooking and wondering how to deal with some unsettled family business. Over the weekend I came down with a nasty flu, which is in full swing as I write this. To be sick is no fun to say the least, but I do take it as a sign to slow down and reflect. Here are some ideas for staying happy through the holiday season. I hope that you take time to enjoy the holidays.
Do Something Random For The Fun Of It
What have you always wanted to do, but came up with an excuse not to? What made you happy as a kid? Think about things you did, during the holidays, which were fun during the holidays and relieve them as a grown-up. If you have children then introduce your fond activities to your kids. Go ice-skating, go to a hokey play, watch your favorite movie or read a favorite children’s book.
Give Back
Doing something for others is a powerful thing. Volunteer your time or donate money to a favorite cause or something that speaks to your heart is important. It’s a good thing to do and trust me it will make you feel good.
Take Care Of Yourself
It’s important to do things for yourself. Schedule a mani-pedi or a massage. Take a nap, take a day off and read in bed. Do whatever it is that you need to do to recharge.
Commune With Nature
So often we forget to go outside and do something for nature. Pick up garbage, feed the birds, start a compost pile, rake up leaves or whatever needs doing. You will be doing something good for nature and by being outside you will feel better.
Get Active
It may be chilly outside, but go out for a walk or run anyway. We need the vitamin D and to get our blood pumping. Ride your bike, go skiing or sledding. If you can’t get outdoors then go to your local gym and take an exercise class. It’s important to get those endorphins going.
Try Cooking A New Recipe
Choose a recipe that peaks your interest and try making it. If it’s a big success then perhaps you can duplicate it for a holiday dinner. Even if you don’t make it for a holiday dinner you have it in your back pocket of recipes. If it doesn’t turn out then oh well at least you tried it.
Favorite Childhood Food
Everyone has a favorite childhood food. Growing up in Lincoln, Nebraska my mother used to make something called Runzas. Whenever I need a “childhood comfort shot” I will make Runzas (thank goodness my mother left me the recipe). My husband grew up Italian in Castro Valley. During the holidays his aunt would bring an Italian rum cake to the family gatherings. My husband has been searching for this cake for over 40 years, but can’t seem to find it. I’ve tried several times to duplicate it from his description. The point here is, think about what your favorite foods were as a child. Try and duplicate them and share them with the people that you love. Trust me…food and memory are powerful things.
Honor Your Ancestors
Holidays can be emotional. We all have both happy and sad memories of people who have passed away. One way to honor those who have passed away is to make their favorite foods. Another is to watch an ancestor’s favorite movie. My father-in-law’s favorite movies was, “It’s A Wonderful Life.” After he passed away we would take the whole family and go to see, “It’s A Wonderful Life” at the local movie theater. Not one of us walked out of the theater with dry eyes. It was powerful, healing and an important holiday ritual. Take some quiet time to reflect and to be grateful for those people who are gone and were important in your life.
Forgive Friends & Family
Oftentimes living friends and family can be an emotional challenge. Forgive them. Lift the weight off of yourself and simply forgive them. This doesn’t mean that you should get right back into dysfunction (set boundaries and limitations). Deal with conflicts from your highest level of goodness and love.
Make Amends & Forgive Yourself
We have all wronged people that we love. Examine your past emotions and motivations in situations that are nagging your heart. Make amends; tell that person you are sorry. There is no need to go into “yeah but.” Simply “I am sorry I did fill in the blank.” Forgive yourself as well. Most of us are hard on ourselves, which creates stress whether we know it, or not. We all make mistakes. Forgive yourself. At the end of the day, at the end of the holidays the happy memories will not come from presents or material things as much as from genuinely connecting and appreciating your family, friends and yourself.
