Lunar New Year

Yesterday, January 23 was the Lunar New Year.  It is now the Year of the Dragon (Water Dragon), supposedly a very auspicious year where it is expected that there will be a baby boom in Asian nations, as Dragon babies are very successful, lucky, etc..  How did I celebrate the beginning of such a wonderful year?  I celebrated with friends, family, and good food.  And technically the celebrations continue, with more visiting, and eating, since the Lunar New Year is not just a one day event.  I'm not very traditional, but this is one of the more traditional... traditions, that I enjoy.  It must be the food.

So what is it about the food that is so good?  Well, only certain foods are eaten around this time, so if you don't care for those foods, then it's not so special for you.  But, if you are a fan of the sweet "gohs" or sticky rice cakes, then this is a holiday for you.  This is the time that I will stock the fridge with these yummy sweets, and sometimes, I'll freeze an extra batch for another week of consumption.  This year, however, I did not go crazy... more out of sheer laziness and frugality than anything... although I suppose, you really aren't supposed to be frugal around this time of year...

I never used to understand why the Lunar New Year was celebrated, and perhaps I still don't really understand it.  It's not as though we recognize, the Chinese Calendar, at least, not like we do with the Georgian Calendar.  I still enjoy it, though, without fully knowing everything about it.  It just seems like such a cheerful, fun thing, and I hope that Little B will enjoy it, and learn a little more about it, as she grows older.