Happy Chinese New Year!

Today, Feb 12th is the Chinese New Year! Don’t get confused. This New Year is on the Lunar calendar. Unlike the New Year that we’re familiar with, it changes date every year. It marks the start of the Year of the Ox.

One thing that the Chinese do is to give red pockets. These are red envelopes filled with different amounts of money given to children. They also make dumplings, flour patches filled with meat, and vegetable fillings. There are also festivals where actors carry around a dragon, making it seem like the dragon is moving by itself. The best thing is the myth about Nian. Nian is this beast that invades villages every year, scaring residents and stealing stuff. It continued until a wise man came and had an idea. He advised the people to wear red, bang drums and set off fireworks when Nian came. That scared Nian off, with it never seen again.

“This year, even though we can’t gather, we could still eat dumplings and give red pockets, with gatherings done online,” said Tigger earlier today. “And here’s how to say Happy Chinese New Year: 新xin 年nian 快kuai 乐le!”