Xin Nian Kuai Le!

Since Lily's birthday falls during the winterbreak, the last few years we have waited until the end of January to have a party with her friends. This way we can combine our celebration of Chinese New Year as well. We like to share our knowledge of Lily's culture with her friends. They had great fun seeing pictures from our trip to China. They made crafts and got to try to eat sticky rice with chopsticks. (which is really more for our humor) :o) They ate typical Chinese New Year food of oranges and peanuts and even got a few fortune cookies. They topped the eating off with a Chinese Lion cake (or the best I could do to make it look like one). :o)

Here is some of the information I sent home with the kids:

Xin Nian Kuai le
Happy Chinese New Year!

Chinese New Year starts on the new moon on the 1st day of the new year and ends 15 days later on the full moon (Lantern Festival).
Foods: peanuts (long life), oranges (wealth), tangerines (good luck), noodles (long life)
Traditions: the color red (good luck), clean the house then hide the cleaning materials. People wear new clothes for the new year. There are lots of fireworks, the lion dance and family gatherings. Children get red envelopes (hongbao) from elders after bowing 3 times and saying “gongxi” several times. New bills are inside for good luck and wealth in the new year. Everyone stays up late on New Year’s Eve. It is believed that the longer the kids stay up, the longer the parents will live.

Xin Nian Kuai le
Happy Chinese New Year!
February 3rd, 2011 – Chinese year 4708
Year of the Rabbit
You are a rabbit if your birth date falls during the following years:
1927 1939 1951 1963 1975
1987 1999 2011
Rabbit Traits: They are affectionate, talented, obliging, always pleasant, values security and tranquility. They can sometimes get too sentimental & superficial. They are cautious and conservative.
Famous Rabbits: Albert Einstein, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Bob Hope, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Frank Sinatra.
Please join us in celebrating the Year of the Rabbit!



Our Chinese Princess

Lily Su Grace Messina, age 6

Everyone came wearing red to the party!

The party girl...Lily celebrating Chinese New Year with her friends and her birthday (a few weeks late...since her birthday falls during the holiday break).

Eating some Chinese New Year food....oranges, peanuts and fortune cookies! We also made some sticky rice so everyone could have a try at eating with chopsticks. :o)

Lily gets ready to blow out the candles on her Chinese lion cake