Happy Chinese New Year!

On the ancient traditional Chinese calendar it’s New Years Day today.  On our Western calendar it’s February 5th, 2019.  The old Chinese calendar goes by a different system altogether, so Chinese New Year falls around this time every year but not always on February 5th.

This photo of koi fish was taken by me at Hong Kong’s Gold Coast outside of a luxury hotel when I was there a few years ago.  Koi or goldfish represent good luck to the Chinese.

Hong Kong is one of my favourite places.  I have been there several times and have many happy memories of exploring interesting different districts with family and friends.

Today Hong Kong and all parts of China will be lighting strings of firecrackers and wishing each other a happy new year full of good luck and riches.  Families will be visiting their relatives, and grandparents, aunts and uncles will be giving children red envelopes containing money.

In 1985 we were in Guangdong on Chinese New Year, at a college studying Chinese.  Our sons were 3 and 5 years old then.  All the families got together outside on the campus on Chinese New Years Eve and lit firecrackers.  The children all had the small type that my brother and I and our friends used to light in the 60s.  The boys thought it was great!  Of course we hovered over them to make sure they didn’t burn themselves.

The Chinese calendar revolves around a list of animals.  This year is the year of the pig.  A whole system of astrology surrounds the Chinese zodiac.  If you are born in the year of the pig you are said to have shared characteristics with everyone else born in the year of the pig.

Also called Spring Festival, people usually get a week off work to travel to visit family and also to participate in activities such as going to flower markets and visiting ancestral graves.

Here’s wishing a Happy Chinese New Year to all, and may you be blessed with health and prosperity!