Happy Lunar New Year! Because we’re hoping to be parents to a child from China, we celebrated our very first Chinese New Year this weekend. I was fortunate to consult a little with my Chinese sister in law on customs and food, and we had a nice mini celebration of this widely celebrated holiday. I’ve gotten some wise advice to incorporate some of China’s culture into our home, and I’m so excited to do that! We  really want our son to know that his heritage is something to celebrate.

For those of you that don’t know, Chinese New Year falls on different dates each year, according to the lunar calendar. This year’s New Year fell on 2/16, with New Year’s Eve on 2/15. In China there is feasting, parading, giving of red envelopes with “lucky” money, and lots of red lanterns, knots, and banners. Red is considered to be the color of good fortune, and so it is used a lot in celebrations. Chinese brides even wear red wedding dresses.

I’ve learned that Chinese New Year is also called “Spring Festival” as it brings with it the hope of spring and all the new beginnings therein. Many families clean out their homes and sweep away all of last year’s bad luck to allow a fresh start. I can totally get behind that! Who doesn’t love a clean slate?! I also learned that in folklore, the Jade emperor declared a race for all the animals in his kingdom. The emperor did this with the intention that the first 12 animals to cross the finish line would receive their own year. That’s why this year is the year of the dog. Next year will be another animal, and so on through a 12 year cycle.

May this year be one of many good new beginnings for you!