So it begins. Today is the Spring Festival in China (actually last night since the time zone difference). It's the year of Rat for us.
And it's the start of another zodiac cycle. Hehe, for such a small animal, Rat is the one that "leads" the pack!
But most importantly, this new year is special because it coincides with
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stilettos81's birthday!So,
stilettos81 :-)
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And Happy Birthday stilettos81 :o) Have fun partying :o)
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Didn't Rat come across the river first because he hitched a ride on Oxen's horns? My knowledge of this is woefully inadequate...
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Goodness, you know more about the Zodiac myth than I do! ;) I like your story--that explains why Ox is the second animal after rat. Hehe, rats are quite resourceful then. :D
As far as celebration goes, it was quite muted except we did have a big Chinese feast with friends.
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I haven't been able to properly celebrate the Spring Festival for a very long time. These days, we just go out to Chinese restaurant and have a big feast. In the past, we normally watch the New Year Gala broadcast on CCTV (Chinese Central Television) with friends and family. But this year we just taped it. I haven't been able to find time to watch it yet.
I'll tell stilettos81 you wished her HB! ;) She hasn't had time to hook up her computer yet since she moved!
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My work place served Chinese food all day for the first day of the new year, it was wonderful. :) One of these years I want to actually go to Asia for the celebrations instead of celebrating by myself in Wisconsin. lol
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Oh you'd have loads of fun! Lots of people, food, and noise (firecrackers and fireworks), but the whole atmosphere is festival. I think in China, people call the week of Spring Festival the "Golden Week".
I'd love to go back to China for the holiday one of these days. However I don't see it happen anytime soon. My son is school age, I just can't take him out of school!
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China is probably where I would want to go. My dad gets to go there for business every once in a while, maybe I could convince him to go early in the year...
I bet once your son gets to High School you could take him out if he wanted to go with you. More and more schools are trying to be more "culturally sensitive" which means parents get less grief for pulling their kids out of school for a good reason.
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That sounds cool! What part of China does he travel to normally?
Given he's third grade now, that sounds like such a long way to go...
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Third grade? Oh dear..yes, that will take some time to get him to high school. Maybe in junior high...
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But, OMG! I grew up in Shanghai! Hmmm... A town west of Shanghai--could it be Suchow? That's a lovely place too. Lot's of water (lake) around the city, and ancient buildings--much different from Shanghai, which are mostly cosmopolitan. Of all the cities in China, Shanghai is the least "Chinese-like". But it's fun and bubbly, lots of bars and nightclubs and shopping. ;)
Really hope you'd get a chance to go there!
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Yes! I do believe that is it. He got to do a little sight seeing and took lots of pictures of the lake-we are very much a water family-it is so pretty there!
Thanks! :D