HaPpy ChinEse New YEar!!!!!!

[Hypergraphian]

Though it's the eve, I'd like to wish everyone celebrating a very Happy Chinese New Year! May all of you have a better year ahead with brighter fortunes and bigger successes.

Since this will be a Chinese New Year thread, do throw in anything else that's Chinese New Year related. I'll start :-

Common greetings used :- Since I'm a banana, I only know one greeting besides the common Gong Xi Fa Cai (meaning congratulations and good fortune), which is "Nin Nin Yau Yui" Directly translated it means "every year got fish". Not directly translated it means "may every year bring you goodness".... or something to that extent.

Common preparations :-
Before Chinese New Year, me and my mom usually do lots of food shopping. We also bake cookies for visiting guests and these comprise of pineapple tarts, almond cookies and "love letters". We also buy flowers and decorate the house red.

Common practice for new year eve reunion :-
Dinner in, then mah jong till the wee hours of the morning while waiting for "Choy San" or the fortune God to pop by and bless our house.

Common superstitions for first day:-
1) No washing hair otherwise overnight accumulated good luck will disappear
2) No sweeping or mopping or vacumming the floors for the same reason
3) This year I have to wear green on the first day as instructed by my grandmother
4) Receive visiting guests since my parents and grandma are the eldest in the family...

Common Chinese New Year foods :-
1) Sang choy - its a form of lettuce but the chinese eat this because it has the word "Sang" or life in it
2) Fat choy - its a seaweed that looks like strands of hair... tastes nothing like hair but rather more like thin black noodles... its name means prosperous vege...
3) Hoi Sam - AKA sea cucumber cause its name directly translated means happiness

That's all I can think of for now....Anyone else?

[Jose]

Momijitmo was telling me about this and it sounds like so much fun, while I, myself do not/have not celebrated it, I would someday like to enjoy the privilege of participating in the event of the Chinese New Year

[Hypergraphian]

Ah... though I shouldn't be advocating this, we also practice a fair bit of gambling i.e. playing Black Jack or Chinese poker during the first 15-day period. Its a way of testing if our luck for the rest of the year will be good.

[CrimsonMoon]

We celebrate it here too. Tomorrow's the public holiday for Chinese New year. But I don't celebrate it. Someday I'd like to visit Chinese houses. It sounds fun. =3 Plus they allow us in. So why not?

[Raidou Kuzunoha]

My family doesn't do that much for Chinese New Year, unforunately.

But we have a big get together and throw a large party. Then my grandfather gives all the grandchildren money in a little red envelop.

[Konata Izumi]

We had hot pot today and went out for dinner yesterday cause all the Chinese restaurants near me would be booked out today. ;p

ANYWAY ! HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR !

[Golden State Warrior]

Yes, yes. Gong Si Fa Chai. Good fortunes and red envelopes to all.

[Ramona Flowers]

Lotus roots. Yum <3


The food is my fav part.

[Aizmov]

So it is the year of the Mighty Mouse, happy Apple Mighty Mouse to all :D

[maria89]

kung hay fat chow!!! happy chinesse new year! love monkie!!

[Hideki Motosuwa.]

My family is mainly Chinese, and all I know about Chinese new year, is that i recieve some cash, our family gets together to celebrate, and we lieave the lights on in the house all night. Happy Chinese New Year everyone! Shame on me for forgetting. *slaps self*;)

[genericusername2]

We should have an Aussie New Year. Imagine the beer.

[Genghis Beatrix]

happy new year ya'll!!! on the chinese new year, it will be 6 months that my boyfriend and i have been together! 6 MONTH ANNIVERSURY(SP)!!! *kisses boyfriend*

[DarkMoonPrince]

Either way, it's the chinese new year, i go to the store and i see them celebrating it, very interesting . so happy chinese new year

[Capernicus]

Common practice for new year eve reunion :-
Dinner in, then mah jong till the wee hours of the morning while waiting for "Choy San" or the fortune God to pop by and bless our house.

Common superstitions for first day:-
1) No washing hair otherwise overnight accumulated good luck will disappear
2) No sweeping or mopping or vacumming the floors for the same reason
3) This year I have to wear green on the first day as instructed by my grandmother
4) Receive visiting guests since my parents and grandma are the eldest in the family...

Mah Jong rox my sox. =D

Isn't it that you must visit the temple on new years day? And that your new year dream will come true that year, and that lucky things to see in your newyear dream include: hawk, egglplant, Mt Fuji.

[Khanxay]

Isn't it that you must visit the temple on new years day?

Well, not everyone can make it to a temple. I know there's no Chinese temple anywhere near here. There is a Vietnamese one though and a Lao one.

[Moonlight Eve]

Happy Chinese New Year to you all!! The Japanese have the same kind of traditions for their New Year celebrations. Instead of Red Envelopes, we give out white ones and we also eat "Good luck food" mainly Hot Pots.

[Hideki Motosuwa.]

I'm sorry to say this, but what I hate about Chinese New Year, is that the school celebrates too. The lunch ladies hang the lanterns up and serve rice. And then the kids start treating me, Michael Chung, Mike Lee, Jason Wong, etc. differently, like we're gods or something. And they stereotype us on that day too. God, I'm really not looking forward to tomorrow at school. -_-;

[Khanxay]

I'm sorry to say this, but what I hate about Chinese New Year, is that the school celebrates too.

What!? They celebrate asian holidays at your school? No fair!!!

And I demand a ASIAN HISTORY MONTH!

I think I've said enough.

[King_Shadow89]

This is to much to understand so what again?

[Nephthys]

yes happy chinese new year.....wow im dumb i didnt know they had a diffrent new year from us* shrug shrug* guess thats why i never maijored in chinese studies

[Khanxay]

i didnt know they had a diffrent new year from us* shrug shrug* guess thats why i never maijored in chinese studies
Yep. And Vietnamese New Years is sometime the end of this month I -think-. AND Lao New Year is in April. =]

I forget the other countries.

[Nephthys]

Yep. And Vietnamese New Years is sometime the end of this month I -think-. AND Lao New Year is in April. =]

I forget the other countries.
sweet so if i move to asia I have more oppertunities to party and get drunk on new years. I just gotta be in china in febuary, then go to vietnam, then make my way to Laos by April! swwweeeeeeeeeettt

[Souhi]

Yep. And Vietnamese New Years is sometime the end of this month I -think-. AND Lao New Year is in April. =]

I forget the other countries.

Chuc mung nam moi! Tết is tomorrow actually.

I always get all the "New Year"' mixed up. I always forget Chinese New Year too (seems so early) even though it's so closely related to Tết. It's the year of the rat, right? Cool.

The one thing I get tired of is banh chung. I mean, they're good and all, but after the 20th one I'm ready to burst. I also wish I had more family in the area. The New Year is a huge celebration in the native countries. On par with Christmas.

[Hideki Motosuwa.]

What!? They celebrate asian holidays at your school? No fair!!!

And I demand a ASIAN HISTORY MONTH!

I think I've said enough.
Trust me, no you don't, but an Asian History Month would be nice. ^^

[╬Karami Mew~Meow]

Oh yeahhh!!!
Happy Chinese New Year 'vry one!!!

My friend's celebrating it with her whole family, and they're doing it in their resturant. She invited me, but then i couldn't come ;_;
We used to celebrate a little of it (not as big as mort Chinese do), back with my dad's side in Ph., because my half sister is 25% Chinese, so, yeah.
Even though I'm with my other half sister here in US, she doesn't celebrate it -__- she doesn't even know when it is.
Though my dad and I just light up chinese candles, and pretty much it.

Edit: Sticky sweet rice OMG, my fav<333 (we ate it during new year *the normal one*)

[angelic_assasin]

yay!!! happy chinese new years everybody!!! >3
i love chinese new year, my family usually eat normal dumplings and we make sticky sweet rice =3 soooo good :3
and its the time when i make the big bucks ~_^
ne cameron? you dont like being treated like a god? lol its not such a weird thing at my school ,cuz most of my school is filled with all sorts of asians anyway >_>;;

[Myrra]

Well, in my neck of the woods, it doesn't arrive for another 7 hours and some odd minutes. I'd make the effort to clean, but I'm not feeling well, so I guess I'll be stuck with bad luck...unless someone else wishes to come clean for me. I'll probably make some sort of effort to clean the main areas of the house before new year's as it's just not right not too.
That'll be the extent of my celebrations until whatever bug I have passes.
I hate being sick. >_<

[Ramona Flowers]

Is it the year of the Horse?

Edit: Nvm. Year of the Rat x.x

[Nephthys]

http://www.animeforum.com/image/thum_1464647ab3ba9a905d.gif (http://www.animeforum.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=25477)


mwhahahaha!

[Aizmov]

What!? They celebrate asian holidays at your school? No fair!!!

And I demand a ASIAN HISTORY MONTH!

I think I've said enough.

I demand a White History Month
then again not all whites are the same
so there should be an Italian History Month, Irish History Month, Jewish History Month, English History Month, ...
Other ethnic groups will demand their own history months ..
In other words, this History month idea is pointless :)

[Hideki Motosuwa.]

I'm in school right now, and the lunch ladies had to serve the lo mein, and the egg rolls, and the fortune cookie. -_-; Well, atleast noone bothered me about the new year. I say, whatever to the Chinese New Year, hand me the Red envelopes full of cash and forget about it! Being part Chinese does have it's perks you know!;)

[Nephthys]

I'm in school right now, and the lunch ladies had to serve the lo mein, and the egg rolls, and the fortune cookie. -_-; Well, atleast noone bothered me about the new year. I say, whatever to the Chinese New Year, hand me the Red envelopes full of cash and forget about it! Being part Chinese does have it's perks you know!;)

correct me if im wrong but arent fortune cookies actually american? o.O

[Hideki Motosuwa.]

correct me if im wrong but arent fortune cookies actually american? o.O
Actually, I have no idea. 0__o I didn't bother with my fortune cookie, and gave it to a friend. The school doesn't know how to make Chinese food at all! -_-; They over oiled the noodles and poisoned the egg rolls. I enjoyed the Chicken Teriyaki though.

[Aizmov]

correct me if im wrong but arent fortune cookies actually american? o.O

I thought they were chinese, and was originally used to secretly transfer messages :unsure:

[Hideki Motosuwa.]

I thought they were chinese, and was originally used to secretly transfer messages :unsure:
I didn't know that. Anyways, it's tougher than most people think to be part Chinese in an American High School. -_-; It's a 24 hour type of thing you have to deal with, trust me. ;)

[Nephthys]

I thought they were chinese, and was originally used to secretly transfer messages :unsure:

Damn you juist can't believe what you read in a book anymore -_- brb im going to wikipedia



After brief time at wikipedia and the copy and paste button: San Francisco and Los Angeles both lay claim to the origin of the fortune cookie. Makoto Hagiwara of Golden Gate Park's Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco is said to have invented the cookie as an extension to Japanese desserts in 1909,[1] while David Jung, founder of the Hong Kong Noodle Company in Los Angeles, is said to have invented them in 1918.[2] San Francisco's mock Court of Historical Review took the case in 1983. During the proceedings, a fortune cookie was introduced as a key piece of evidence with a message reading, "S.F. Judge who rules for L.A. Not Very Smart Cookie". A federal judge of the Court of Historical Review determined that the cookie originated with Hagiwara and the court ruled in favor of San Francisco. Subsequently, the city of Los Angeles condemned the decision.[2]

Although fortune cookies are undoubtedly a modern invention, a legend has been developed and circulated to explain their origins. According to this legend, in the 14th century, when the Mongols ruled China, a revolutionary named Chu Yuan Chang planned an uprising against them. He used mooncakes to pass along the date of the uprising to the Chinese by replacing the yolk in the center of the mooncake with the message written on rice paper. The Mongols did not care for the yolks, so the plan went on successfully and the Ming Dynasty began. It is claimed that the Moon Festival celebrates this with the tradition of giving mooncakes with messages inside. Immigrant Chinese railroad workers, without the ingredients to make regular mooncakes, made biscuits instead. It is these biscuits that may later have imspired fortune cookies. [1]

So no chinese but inspired by chinese mabey?

[Nephthys]

I didn't know that. Anyways, it's tougher than most people think to be part Chinese in an American High School. -_-; It's a 24 hour type of thing you have to deal with, trust me. ;)
I believe me I know I had a friend who use to chase this chinese girl around back in middle school. Bombarding her with questions about the mainland. Wasnt till Later we reliazied he had a huge crush on her ;) sorry for the doble post -_-;

[Brewmaster]

This sound cool i would really like to be a part of that event once.It sounds interesting.I know each of the years have a sign I'm not sure in which we are now.

[Aizmov]

@ Nephthys
And thus it shows we all were partly correct. And it shows that ancient Chinese knew nothing about cryptography ;)

[Lola Granola]

I wonder if I stop getting red envelopes if I'm 21. I hope not. It would sure help pay off my credit card bill >_>

[Nephthys]

I wonder if I stop getting red envelopes if I'm 21. I hope not. It would sure help pay off my credit card bill >_>

Ive always wondered this , but exacly hiow much is in a red envelope?

[Khanxay]

I'm in school right now, and the lunch ladies had to serve the lo mein, and the egg rolls, and the fortune cookie. -_-; School served eggrolls? That must not taste very good.

[Lola Granola]

I get anywhere from 10 to 100 in one red envelope. Usually 100 is from the parents, 50 from the G-Ma, 20-40 from aunts or uncles, 10 from people who don't know you very well. Ha.

[Mei Kanami]

Ya ya ya...
I celebrated it too!
So, happy Chinese New Year, minna...!
And also for me too... o_O

My friend told me that Chinese New Year are:
- 1% for new hair style
- 2% for new clothes
- 3% for Chinese Food
- 4% for red things
- and the last one is 90% for hung pao <the red envelope that full of cash> xD
I'm glad that I haven't married yet, so I still get the hung pao every year... o_O

[Hypergraphian]

To sum up answers for some of the questions posted :-

1) Ang pau packet amount varies. My biggest ang pau (not from my parents) was about USD500.
2) No, sighting mount Fuji isn't something that's in my list of lucky things that have to be done as far as Malayisans are concerned.
3) The Chinese Zodiac as follows :-
I was born 1981 and am the year of the rooster. So I'll start from my year :-
1981 - Rooster
1982 - Dog
1983 - Pig
1984 - Rat
1985 - Ox
1986 - Tiger
1987 - Rabbit
1988 - Dragon
1989 - Snake
1990 - Horse
1991 - Goat
1992 - Monkey
From here the cycle continues.

[Aizmov]

I'm an Ox, I would of much rather be a Tiger. And I was just two days away from that!
Thanks for sharing, it is interesting that some cultures find joy in naming years.

[Hideki Motosuwa.]

School served eggrolls? That must not taste very good.
Yeah, that's why I gave the egg roll to my friend. All the Asian kids in school warned everyone not to eat the Chinese food that the lunch ladies cooked. I just got home, and guess what I recieved? A red envelope with only $10.00. But, that's okay, it's not about the money I guess. To get the money, I had to say, "Happy Chinese New Year" in cantonese. I have to go soon, Happy Chinese New Year everyone!;)

[Azrael91]

Happy chinese new year i guess.