Kung Hee Fat Choy! It’s a new year everyone and this time it’s my year. That’s right, I’m a rat and proud of it.
In celebration of this special year, I received a tiny little rat figurine.
The piece of paper you see with him is full of cute little tidbits of information. For example, my flower is the Peony and that means “dignified like a king”. Does this mean I’m like royalty?
It also says:
“You will have many chances. Do not miss them. But if you are too proud and lose your presence of mind, or get lost in an indecent life, and you’ll lose your fortune immediately.”
Hrm. Now I’m worried about having an indecent stash. ;-)
In our family there are a few traditions that we practice every year. There’s the red paper we buy from China Town and put near the doorways to bring in good luck. This one says, “good health throughout your household.” Good health is always a good thing.
Before we put up the new paper on New Year’s Eve, we burn the old paper to burn away any bad luck from the previous year. This is always an adventure as I’m more then a little afraid of fire.
There’s also a frenzy to clean the house to sweep away the bad luck. This has to be done on the eve of the new year as there’s no cleaning done on the first day of the year. That supposedly sweeps away any good luck.
Another must do for our Chinese New Year celebration is Chinese food.
There’s the traditional Jai that we have every year, Mongolian Beef, and Salted Fish Fried Rice. Delicious! And no, I didn’t cook a single dish. I’m a disaster in the kitchen. :)
Another thing I like to do for New Year’s Eve is finish a project. So I started another felted fish. I was able to get the knitting done, but not the felting. Hopefully this won’t mean that my year will be filled with only partially finished items.
On New Year’s Day, I started a new project in the hopes that my year will be filled with beautiful and joyous projects. More on that another time, I need to felt a fish.
May your New Year be filled with good health and beautifully joyous projects too!
February 8th, 2008 at 10:31 am
A Happy and Joyous New Year, Opal. I love the tradition of sweeping out the bad luck to make room for the good luck. And there you go making me hungry again with that glorious plate of food. If you can wear a cheesehead hat, I should be able to hang some red paper by my front door. Hugs!
February 8th, 2008 at 10:59 am
Happy New Year!!! I hope being a rat in the year of the rat adds nicely to your year. I am a dragon and Al is a tiger. I enjoyed reading about your traditions and look forward to seeing your felted fish.
February 8th, 2008 at 11:29 am
Thank you for sharing your traditions and may the new year be full of everything god!
February 8th, 2008 at 11:37 am
Happy New Year! May it be a year full of happiness, good health and laughter.
Thank you for sharing with us, Opal. ♥
February 8th, 2008 at 11:59 am
The little rat is cute! It’s fun to see traditions for the chinese new year. I recorded a new kids show for the munchkins, about a little chinese girl. It’s like a chinese Dora, they released on the chinese new year. Called Ni Hao Kai-Lan, and it’s pretty cute. Maybe my kids will learn chinese too??? ;)
February 8th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Family traditions ground us and provide the foundation to who we are. Your’s are really cool.
February 8th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Happy New Year! Would it surprise you to learn that I’m a dog?! I really like the tradition of burning the old red paper and sweeping out the bad luck. I always have to eat cabbage on New Years Day for good luck. I hope you have a wonderful Year of the Rat!
February 8th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Oh man, you are making my mouth water and I really don’t feel like cooking dinner!
February 8th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
Happy New Year!!! Your little rat is adorable!
February 8th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Kung Hey Fat Choy to you and yours! My husband is a rat too … it is said that Rat is intelligent, charming and likes to party! I told my husband and he laughed.
I haven’t eaten salted fish for ages! Thinking of it now I am drooling!
February 8th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Happy New Year! I am a snake, so watch out! I received the lace book for Christmas two years ago, and I never really looked at it…shame on me, I think I need to break it out. What are you working on?
February 8th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
Happy New year - Keep showing that food - I really need to learn how to cook that - it looks great.
February 8th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Kung Hey Fat Choy Opal! I am a rat too! And so is my brother and my daughter! I love Chinese New Year! Living in Toronto, I learn a bit more about the celebrations that go with it each year! That food looks delicious! Hope your New Year is filled with lots of beautiful projects. I am looking forward to seeing them!
February 8th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
Happy New Year! I’m a monkey myself :o)
February 8th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
I love your rat. I love your food dish. Sigh. But I made some dynamite chicken curry yesterday, and I will have to console myself with that.
hugggggggggssssss, and Kung Hee Fat Choy! (did you see the cute rate family on Google search?)
mer
February 8th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
My typing is lousy. It was RAT family, not a RATE family. And, btw, I’m a Rooster.
mer
February 8th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
kung hee fat choy you little rat! my mom gave me a figurine too - but i’ve got three little rats-only one of my three children are rats though….wanting to see your felted fish soon
February 8th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Happy New Year! What lovely traditions!
(((hugs)))
February 8th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
Kung Hee Fat Choy to you too Opal!
Do you have/celebrate traditions for the Eastern New Year too?
February 8th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
Happy New Year, Opal. Thanks for sharing your traditions, and I can’t wait to see your felted fish. They’re really cute!
February 8th, 2008 at 9:02 pm
Happy New Year, you sweet little Rat! I’d heard of a couple of these traditions before but thanks for expanding my horizons just a bit :o)
By the way, the food looks delicioso!
February 8th, 2008 at 11:31 pm
Happy Year of the Rat from a Dog!! That was so interesting about the red paper–thanks for sharing your customs. I hope you have a RATically great year!
February 9th, 2008 at 1:09 am
Happy New Year! The food looks so good - can you please send some to me?
February 9th, 2008 at 3:41 am
A joyous, peaceful and productive new year to you Opal :)
I very much like the idea of sweeping out/burning last year’s bad fortune in preparation for the good fortune incoming with the new year. I like it on a personal level too - sweep out the bad at the end of the day to make room for the good of the next day to come in.
Jade, of course, doesn’t care about new year’s philosophy or practices - she just keeps trying to lick the butter off my toast!
February 9th, 2008 at 5:41 am
Happy New Year to you, too! Out with the old and in with the new…may you have many happy knitting project in the new year :)
February 9th, 2008 at 8:40 am
I’m a rat too!. Happy New Year and thanks for reminding me about Mongolian beef. I love it, but haven’t seen it around in a long time. PS: Stashes, by definition, can’t be indecent as they are self-clothed at all times.
February 9th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Happy Chinese New Years! We are having Italian food actually :-) though we usually go out for Chinese. Your stash should not induce guilt! It is a creative thing and rats are very creative! Here is to a terrific new year!
February 9th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
Happy New Year! I enjoyed the education in Chinese New Years and your rat is adorable! May your whole year be filled with everything good!
February 9th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Happy New Year!
I think the little rat is adorable - and the food? I’m lucky its late here, or I’d be badgering my husband to go get Chinese food. :) Any way you could get the recipes from the people who made them?
February 10th, 2008 at 3:16 am
Happy New Year! All the best for the Year of the Rat!
February 10th, 2008 at 4:38 am
Happy New Year!!!
(I’m hungry again…that plate looks delicious)
February 10th, 2008 at 9:15 am
Happy new year!
The meal looks delicious.
February 11th, 2008 at 7:13 am
Happy New Year (and thanks for the cultural enrichment!)
February 11th, 2008 at 8:06 am
You’ve been tagged. (Sorry!) See my blog…
February 11th, 2008 at 8:16 am
Happy New Year from a fellow Rat!
February 11th, 2008 at 11:54 am
Happy New Year! And don’t let anyone say to you, “You dirty rat.”
February 12th, 2008 at 1:21 am
Happy New Year! I looked up my zodiac sign - I am Tiger, now (as Jeanne would say).