Chun Jie/Spring Festival

It's the middle of winter...I'm seeing snow on Facebook posts, scarves are being knitted at Cup O' Joe, mulled wine is brewing, and the season of long underwear is among us, but in China we are about to celebrate Chun Jie (Spring Festival)...or "Chinese New Year" as the rest of the world seems to call it. The Chinese base their New Year on the Lunar calendar, so it does not correspond to Western New Year and in fact Dec. 31/Jan.1 in China is just like any other day of the year here. Last year, we went to the Philippines for Chun Jie, soErich and I are pretty excited to experience our first Spring Festival in Beilun over the next few weeks.

As with every day we've lived in China, we expect to hear the fireworks going off in celebration. But we've been told that during the days of/before/after Chun Jie that they will be going of at all hours of the night...continuously. It does not surprise me...the Chinese love their fireworks and they are set off to celebrate and "scare away the bad/bring in the good" at all occasions...weddings, openings of stores, births, ground-breaking for construction, birthdays...you name it and if there is reason to celebrate, there will be fireworks. Mostly the HUGE rounds of firecrackers are set in the middle of the road or parking lot and let rip! It still shocks me tosee people and cars zoom by who seem not to notice the gun-shot-like firingoccurring at their side. Maybe we will get some of our own and set off in celebration of the year of the dragon :)

There are somany traditions associated with this holiday, the largest and most celebrated of the Chinese year. We are constantly learning more and more about how the Chinese from different regions celebrate. Mostly, it sounds like Christmas in the States (minus the Christianity). Everyone gets off work and school for 2-4 weeks, they travel to hometowns to be with family, and everyone eats, drinks, watches TV and enjoys each other's company especially for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day (this year on Jan. 22 and 23). There are traditional foods specific to different regions and families. We were given a rice/corn based noodle to cook in a soup on New Year's Day from a Chinese friend...it will bring good health and prosperity. We're planning on having friends and Cup O' Joe staff who couldn't go home/are alone over to our place to make dumplings and some other foods on the 22/23. And I'mhoping to find a recipe or a place to buy "ba bao fan" (eight treasures rice), a sweet rice dessert stuffed with 8 "treasures" like dates, plums, seeds and cherries...one of my favorite Chinese foods, which happens to also be very traditionally eaten this time of year...mmmmm. Looking forward to this Chinese style holiday feasting :)

Today, wehad friends from the local community center come by to wish us "Xin Nin Kuai Le" (Happy New Year) and gave us the traditional "fu" posters and red lanterns to hang on our front door. "Fu", pronounced "foo" (not the disrespectful American "F. U."), means good luck/good fortune. The Chinese hang the fu characters on their door this time of year to bring in good fortune to their household for the New Year. Just in time too...we had taken down our Christmas tree and decorations the week before :)

Beyond the fact that we have another week off of school, I am eager to be out and celebrate Chun Jie with some of our Chinese friends who will be around for the holiday. Video and photos of the celebrations are sure to come!