Celebrating New Years twice has to be a good thing right? New beginnings.

---

Xin Nian Kuaile! It's the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year. The Year of the Pig. Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. The combination of the lunar and solar movements is what the Chinese calender is based on with 29.5 days in the lunar cycle. New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are celebrated with family where ancestors are highly respected and honored during this time because they are the ones that layed the foundation for wealth and prosperity of the family. There is a 15 day celebration, each day paying respect to different gods, ancestors and family members, farmers, and eating lots of different foods. The last two days are spent in preparation for the Lantern Festival and the last day is celebrated at night with lantern displays.

New Year's Eve, Joanne, Kevin, and I did not go to Chinatown because we couldn't bare the thought of the massive crowds so we headed to the river hong bao another less crowded place with festivities. As we took the bus down Orchard Rd. there were hardly anyone on the roads or walking around. It was a ghost town which you will never see on a Saturday night on Orchard Rd. It was pretty creepy. Coming up on the crowds, we were getting closer to where we wanted to go. There were rides and games that you would normally see at an amusement park. Oh ya and lots of food stalls. I tried, Muah Chee (see pic) and Kueh Tu Tu (flour filled either with brown coconut or peanuts then steamed). I found it very strange seeing people eating cups of corn. Such a weird treat. Hehehe. There were no fireworks since they are illegal in Singapore but kids had sparklers. A crowd was surrounding this tree that had hanging from its branches various coloured papers with chinese characters symobilizing various things like wealth, prosperity, happiness, luck, etc. And each had a bell hanging from the bottom of the paper. People were throwing coins and trying to hit these bells. You choose whatever you wanted in the new year either, luck, wealth or whatever and if you hit and rang the bell then it would come true. So on my first attempt, I aimed for one bell and DING!! I didn't even know what I went for until Joanne said I hit wealth. Alright, just what I need too!! YA!

We ate a crab supper. The first time I had crab that wasn't in sushi. It was pretty good but I can't eat it because I am a vegetarian😉 Ha. For dessert we got shaved ice with mango and condensed milk. It was pretty nice.....refreshing. To drink I had a cold "Ying Yong" which is tea and coffee mixed together. Who would've thought that would be good? Not me but it was! New Year's Day, we went with Joanne to visit with her grandparents. I presented them with 2 oranges. In pairs because even numbers are thought to mean happy events. The presentation of oranges is a southern Chinese ritual. The Cantonese pronounciation of oranges is "Gam" and sounds the same as gold. I wished them a "Xin Nian Kuaile" and everyone laughed at me everytime I said it. Everybody thought the Ang Moh sounded funny speaking mandarin. And you wonder why I feel so self-conscious about it. It's all good though. I received red packets (hung bao) which symbolizes good luck and good fortune. The colour red signifies happiness, life, and good luck. Typically it is given by married couples to those that are not married. When I thanked them in chinese, xie xie I was laughed atonce again.

It was nice to spend Spring Festival with friends and not by myself. I got to understand more about the traditions surrounding this huge event. Having New Years twice was cool. If I didn't like the first month and bit of the western New Year than I can always start again with the Chinese one! Sounds good to me!

---

Photos

Being touristy with Joanne
I made Joanne take a pic with me so I wouldn't feel as dumb by myself. Stupid tourist. Drinking teh-tarik....sooo good!

Wishing tree
Throw a coin and hit one bell signifying wealth, fortune, prosperity, or luck and it could be yours.

Making of Muay Chee
It is gooey rice dough cut into small pieces and coated with finely chopped peanuts and sugar. Very tasty!