The Surprising Truth about Chinese New Year - The US vs. China

We are fast approaching the Chinese New Year holiday for 2011 (February 3, 2011). This year is the year of the Rabbit. I have been lucky enough to spend Chinese New Year in both the United States and China and they are like two different holidays.


For those of you who were born or raised in the US ( I can't speak for other non-Chinese countries), Chinese New Year is one of those elusive holidays where you have no idea when it is until your parents tell you. Usually is involves just dinner at home with family and the most exciting part for the younger generation is the red envelopes (利是"lai see" in Cantonese). For those who don't know what a red envelope is, basically it is just a red envelope (pardon the obvious) that contains money. I will get into more details in a later post. We don't even get a day off for Chinese New Year unless you work for a Chinese owned company. If you live near a Chinatown, you may be lucky enough to join in some of the festivities (parades, lion dancing and fireworks)


In stark contrast, Chinese New Year is by far the biggest and most important holiday in China. Almost everyone gets about 10 days off, some even take extended holidays. Due to the migrant worker situation in China, this is the holiday where everyone makes their annual trek back to there hometown (老家 "lao jia" in Mandarin, "herng ha" in Cantonese). The traditional celebration is very festive. Everyone (I mean everyone) in the family gets together for a huge dinner on Chinese New Year's eve which takes days to prepare for and the full day to cook. Then at night, everyone watches the CCTV New Year's Gala (中国中央电视台春节联欢晚会) which features performances ranging from acrobatics to comedic skits (more details in another post). At midnight, the sky is lit up with fireworks and practically the whole city (I experienced New Year's in Beijing) seems like it's at war. After midnight, people get together an make dumplings, play cards and just hang out together. The next 5-8 days, you are either visiting relatives or they are visiting you ( 拜年 "bai neen" in Cantonese and "bai nian" in Mandarin). 

All in all, celebrating Chinese New Year in China is much better than celebrating it anywhere else. 

Unfortunately, as China is becoming more Westernized, many of these traditions are being watered down. More and more families are going out to eat and according to many Chinese I know, the holiday spirit wasn't what it use to be. 

Feel free to share your experiences of Chinese New Year in the comments section!

To celebrate the upcoming New Year, the next few posts will be on subjects related to Chinese New Year. Topics will include red envelopes, the Chinese Zodiac, lion dance and even dumplings!

The 4 Rules for Giving Away Money - Chinese Red Pocket

If you know what a red pocket is (利事 "Lai See" in Cantonese and 紅包 "Hong Bao" in Mandarin), you either love it or hate it.

If you are on the receiving end you probably love it but if you are on the giving end you probably hate it. If you are giving, the only perk is you don't have to rack your brain for a nice gift. A red pocket is pretty straightforward: Money inside a RED envelope.

This post is going to look at some of the rules that govern the give and take that is the red envelope:

General Rule #1:
Receivers: Children (and not just your own), Unmarried Adult Friend and Families
Givers: Married Couples (gives two) and Widows (gives one)

General Rule #2:
Receivers: Guests of Honor at Special Occasions (Weddings, Birthdays, Going Away, Travel)
Givers: Attendees of these Special Occasions

General Rule #3:
Receivers: The Worker
Givers: The Boss

General Rule #4: 
Receivers: People who provide you with service (Doorman, Maid, Lion Dancers, etc)
Givers: You

So now you are armed with the general rules of engagement, so do what you need to do to navigate this fun yet sometimes painful Chinese tradition!

Learn Chinese (I always see this on fortune cookies):

恭喜發財,利是逗來 (Gong Hay Faat Choy, Lai See Dou Loi)

Translation: Be Prosperous and Happy ...now give me my money! (that's what those Chinese characters say)

Why Doesn't the US Observe Chinese New Year?

Question: It is 2011, why doesn't the United States and other developed countries observe Chinese New Year (The biggest holiday by far in China) as an official holiday despite observing other ethnic related holidays?

Answer: Because Chinese people don't vote and we don't stand up enough for ourselves.

You want to change the rules, you need to play the game.

(Think of all of the children who have to painfully contemplate whether to sacrifice their "perfect attendance" award for a day off with their family)

Petition your Councilman, Congressman, Whateverman today!!

Secrets of Lion Dancing - An Insider Look

Every year during this time, if you live near a Chinatown or in Hong Kong, you'll hear the familiar sounds found in this video.

I present: Lion Dancing (舞狮 - wushi). Although it seems like fun and games, the first hand account from a veteran of such lion dance shows was quite different. From the gang land roots to the modern day evolution, this is a side that most people never get to see nor hear about it.

Here it is, raw and unedited (source anonymous):

"i remember for years my parents didn't want me to go out to ctown during the chinese new year parade... one year i found out why...
when my uncle took me to watch all the lion dancing and the fireworks i thought this was great... everyone coming out to celebrate... it was exciting, until... two groups crossed paths, it's customary to keep the heads low when meeting another group, when you raise the heads it means you want to fight... well apparently someone didn't tell the dude underneath the yellow lion, cause the dude under the black lion went over and gave him a kick in the chest... next thing you konw all hell breaks lose... massive fight.... both groups go at it using everyting from the flags, cymbals and drum sticks as weapons... the drumer even kicked over the drum to reveal a bin of knives and machetes underneath...

this was back in the day where gangs ruled ctown... where you couldn't walk down certain streets otherwise you would get beat up or robbed... if you were from a different gang or group you know better than to cross into the next territory, and they knew also... it was an unspoken underground etiquette. when gangs ruled ctown, they had a designated area, which they went to stores asking for money... each group would stay in their area and you knew better than to go into an opposing group's turf... things are different now... cops aren't as tolerate... now each group needs to petition for a permit in order to go out on chinese new year, you then get a police escort and a desginated route... and under no circumstances should you be deviating from this mapped route. so many rules you need to follow. but groups are more friendlier, greetings and smiles are exchanged rather than dirty looks and stare downs...

but there is still an animosity towards groups outside of ctown who come just to advertise and try to take money out of the community. groups from outside of the ctown like queens and staten island come out trying to attract new members or collect extra money... these groups aren't frowned upon, but nothing really happens... if an opposing group was rude or holding a threaten posture you would jsut cry to the 5-O and they would lose their permit for the following year, cuase they were black listed from receiving a permit next year...

nowadays... most of the trouble is caused by the younger generation who are over cocky and protective over their groups name and reputation. like asian fraternities they go harass and beat up other group's members or trash their house. but it's nothing like back in the days"

So if you don't know, now you know.

If you want to learn more about the history and traditions of Lion Dancing, check out Wikipedia's entry and also visit www.theLionArts.com

Feel free to leave comments about your own experiences with lion dancing!

The Chinese Guide to RED

During the Chinese New Year or any other auspicious Chinese holiday, you'll notice one dominant color: RED

To the non-Chinese, the color RED reminds people of blood, stop signs, communism, fast cars, valentine's day (love), little riding hood, lipstick, etc but one thing that most Americans can agree on is that RED is not considered a very lucky color.

On the contrary, the Chinese love RED. When others think about China or the Chinese, RED is usually the color that pops into their minds. Here are the reasons why the Chinese are so crazy about RED:

• RED is vibrant and has historically stood for dignity, loyalty and honor (RED China)

• It is the color for auspiciousness, courage, health, vitality (fire), happiness, harmony, fertility, fortune, peace and prosperity.

• RED is especially prevalent during Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) and Chinese Weddings

• In the US, declining stock prices are reflected with RED color but in China, rising stock prices are RED. (If you don't believe me, check out the picture below)

Picture List of Things Chinese and RED:

RED Chinese Lanterns - (pic reminds me of the Karate Kid zip-lining down one of these things)

Auspicious RED Chinese Knot 

RED dresses have come a long way

Flag of RED China

RED Chinese Firecrackers

RED Hawthorne Candy ("bing tang") 

RED Pocket - Lucky Money

Traditional Chinese RED Paper Cuttings

Chinese Stock Market Prices - RED is good, Green is BAD

Even the doors are RED

Now we are starting to go too far...

We have officially gone too far!

Please leave some comments and let me know if I have missed anything else RED and Chinese.

How Safe are You from Chinese Vampires?

Today is Halloween in the United States so I have decided to write a post on Chinese vampires (僵屍 "gerng see" in Cantonese and "jiang shi" in Mandarin). Anytime there is a Chinese "ghost" story, it'll usually involve these guys.  

Actually to tell you the truth, I am not sure if they are really called or why they are called vampires. I personally think they are closer to zombies but for the sake of clarity, I will refer to them as Chinese vampires. So how can you tell if you are dealing with a Chinese vampire? Well ask yourself these questions:

1. Does he have his arms up 90 degrees from his body?

2. Does he get around by hopping in a very stiff way? 

3. If you stick a piece of yellow paper with Chinese writing on his head, does it stop him from moving? 

4. Is he wearing clothing that officials would wear in the Qing dynasty? 

If your answer is Yes to any 3 of these questions, you have a Chinese vampire on your hand. So what should you do? 

• Run away - I can't see how hopping can be faster than running 
• Hold your breath - They detect you by smelling your breath, they are actually blind
• Get a mirror (specifically the 8 sided Ba Gua mirror) - Chinese vampires are afraid of their own reflections
• Handbell - Perhaps they are afraid to get run over by a bicycle
• Vinegar - Apparently wards off Chinese vampires although I would feel silly using it
• Straw Broom - If all else fails, why not try to sweep them away

In their defense, most Chinese vampires are just trying to hop back to their homeland and get a proper burial. Too bad they are misunderstood and get a beating for it.