Chinese New Year

It’s the year of the pig! The 12th and last animal in the Chinese zodiac. The pig represents generosity and prosperity and not only for those born in the year of the pig. The pig is generous to all. So we can all look forward to a year of good luck and great fortune in 2019.

There are several traditional dishes eaten at Chinese New Year. One that goes back to my childhood is a stewed pork and dried oyster dish with a type of dried vegetable that defies description. When dry, it resembles some very fine, black steelwool (some of you may not even know what that is). When cooked, it looks like extra fine black angel hair pasta. But the name of the vegetable sounds like fat choi and so it is eaten at Chinese New Year. It’s in the far left of the pic below.

Chinese New Year is about family, so getting together with family over a meal is another tradition. Instead of gifts, parents and grandparents hand out little red packets filled with cash. These packets are called Lai See 🧧 are red in color to symbolize energy, happiness and good luck. They are also usually ornately decorated with dragons or phoenixes or Chinese words for luck or happiness in shiny gold color and are generally handed out in pairs. Chinese children learn very quickly to look for money inside these little red packets!

Happy Chinese New Year to all. May you all be showered with prosperity in this year of the pig. Kung Hei Fat Choi 🧧🥃