Happy Chinese New Year

Our oldest daughter, the one who is teaching in Shanghai, sent these pretty paper cutouts to hang on our doors for Chinese New Year.

The top one is for the Year of the Horse, which begins today.

And the bottom one with the fish is hung to bring prosperity.

Our daughter shared this explanation with us:

“Fish are a sign of good luck because the word fish in Chinese is yu (like ewww but shorter. English doesn’t have an equivalent sound, but German does. It’s the u with two dots over it, if that helps), anyway this word sounds like the Chinese word for wealth and riches, so fish are a symbol of prosperity. Chinese has a lot of words like that.

Other ways to celebrate are to give away and eat eggs. Eggs are seen as a sign of prosperity. My school gave each teacher 3 dozen eggs as a New Year’s present, to wish us a year of plenty and abundance.

Also, red envelopes called Hongbao are given out by everyone and to everyone. Usually the envelopes have some amount of money in them, though the ones for children generally only have a small amount of money in them but also contain a chocolate coin.”

She sent the paper cutouts so that we can celebrate the Chinese New Year together across the miles.  I’ve got a set hanging on our front door and on the back door.

Gung hay fat choi (May you become prosperous) and Xin Nian Kuai le (Happy New Year!)

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