It's That Time Of The Year Again.....

.....when Chinese people around the world celebrate the Lunar New Year....or in simple words,the first day of the Chinese calendar.For my Chinese friends,this is considered a big,big celebration as it brings together relatives from all over the country,sometimes from different parts of the world.As they get busy with their celebrations,I get busy with my own stuff too.

When the word Chinese New Year hits my mind,I know it's time to spend time with my Chinese friends.Some of them usually call me to their house and we usually spend the whole day there with other friends.Every year,I'll go to my friends place and we usually settle down playing Play Station games.We also do loads of other things but the most important part of a visit is the valuable time spent with my closest buddies.

And,when it's Chinese New Year,it means getting red packets filled with money known as "ang pow".Ang pow giving by the married to the unmarried is a Chinese tradition that dates back to the Chinese Dynasties.

According to what I read in the newspaper about the history of the ang pow tradition,it seems that in a village in China,there was once a demon/monster which could not be defeated by many who tried.In the end,one young boy "did something" (I can't seem to remember) and the demon was killed....destroyed........let's keep it simple-it just vanished and never came back to haunt them.So,the people in the village filled red packets with money and gave it to him as an act of appreciation-thus giving birth to the ang pow tradition.To me,the ang pow is just a symbol of prosperity of the giver.I don't really mind being left out in the "ang pow race".

One thing that you cannot leave out in a discussion about Chinese New Year is the fireworks.Usually,on the stroke of midnight of the first day of the new year,Chinese people will burn firecrackers which vary from size and length.So,sleeping is always a problem on that particular night.But,being a Malaysian,sacrificing one night for my Chinese friends as an act of respect to their culture doesn't sound bad at all.So,instead of frowning,I usually stay up late to enjoy the beautiful display of fireworks.

More importantly,I get very busy during the Chinese New Year period because I have to move furniture around my house.My father is a strong believer of Feng Shui,an ancient Chinese knowledge about starts and how they affect our daily life.So,in order to prevent unwanted incidents and to enhance the prosperity and luck at home,there are certain things to change every year.And,currently,my room looks like it just got hit by an earthquake!

I still have a lot to learn about Chinese New Year.I still know very little about the special dishes and delicacies made especially for Chinese New Year.But,that's not something I should worry too much about as I have many Chinese friends who would eventually teach me bit by bit throughout my life.Let us all celebrate this auspicious occasion with joy and happiness.Happy Chinese New Year!