Jenny Crissman MS L.Ac.

The Chinese New Year festivities are held for several reasons:

To celebrate hard work, have a good rest, and relax with family!

To wish for luck and prosperity in the coming year!

How to Celebrate:

Eat and share a reunion with family and friends- Eating “lucky” foods for increased luck in the year ahead. FISH is a must because the Chinese word for fish sounds like the word for surplus! Again it is the symbolic meaning believed to bring a surplus of money and good luck for the coming year. Other traditional foods include dumplings, spring rolls, glutinous rice cakes and sweet rice balls!

RED is the main color for the festival, is believed to be an auspicious color. Giving of Red envelopes or Hongbao is a custom of the Chinese New Year. It is a time to share gifts and the most common gift is the Red Envelope. It is simply a Red Envelope with some money in it most often given to children and retired seniors. They are distributed with the hope of imparting good luck ( as well as money) to the receivers.

Firecrackers- Set off firecrackers to say “ goodbye old year; WELCOME New Year”. It is tradition to set off one string of small firecrackers, followed by three big firecrackers, which symbolize “sounding out” the old year and “sounding in” the new year. The louder the three firecrackers the better the new year!

Decorations- Red Monkeys!

New Clothes

DID YOU KNOW: San Francisco , claims its Chinese New Year parade is the biggest celebration of its kind outside of Asia? The City has had a hosted Chinese New Year celebration since the Gold Rush era of the 1860's!

I know the official date was 2/8/2016- But the festivities in San Francisco are officially just beginning! http://www.sanfranciscochinatown.com/events/chinesenewyearparade.html

Take time for some additional rituals and see the parade, share some food and light up some fire crackers! The Year of the FIRE MONKEY has begun!
http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/2016/