Happy New Year to all my dear Chinese friends and colleagues. Jan 23rd marks the Chinese New Year, which is in contrast to our New Year which falls on January 1st. As I become more involved in global collaboration and in global projects, I become more aware of global festivals and holidays that other countries/cultures celebrate.
The Chinese New Year is now of special interest to our school as the second language taught is mandarin Chinese. We also fall neatly into the time zone and school times of Asia and this allows synchronous connections and communication.
Each year a different animal is represented. There are 12 animals in total. 2012 is the Year of the Dragon. In my society, dragons are something to be feared. They breathe out fire in our mythology. This is in contrast to the Chinese who see dragons as creatures of good luck and fortune. Therefore it is good luck to have babies born this year.
When reading our daily newspaper, on the weekend, I was surprised to read that I had actually been born in the Year of the Dragon, many yearly cycles ago. Even more special for 2012 is that it is the year of the water dragon, an event that does not occur so regularly and again my birthday was the last year of the dragon. Two grandchildren will be born this year. I wonder what that means for us?
Again, happy New Year to all of you who celebrate the Chinese New Year.
In Australia, the Chinese New Year is celebrated in cities throughout Australia. Do you celebrate Chinese New Year where you live? If so, what does it look like?
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Hi! Anne
Good to read about this and your awareness about other cultures and their festivals. Malaysia, as you know, is a land of diverse cultures. In a multicultural country like ours, celebrating each others’ festivals is always a way of celebrating our differences and that’s what makes Malaysia interesting, I think. Will be sending you some photographs of the Chinese New Year celebration in my school and also that of my family. Right now, we are busy visiting our friends and relatives’ houses, gathering and eating at restaurants in town. And of course, it’s also a time for giving and receiving ‘ang pows’ ( red packets containing money given as gifts ). Remember, Anne, you and Bruce gave the ang pows to our school lion dance troupe leader during their performance when you were here in Malaysia during the Innnovations Showcase Certificate Presentation Ceremony in October last year! ‘Gong Xi Fa Cai! May your new year be filled with good luck, good health and good fortune!’