Gong Xi Fatt Cai is the traditional CNY wish. Gong Xi is wishing someone joy, and Fa Cai is "become rich". So, it is wishing you to be prosperous with joy in the coming year. I like it! There have been random fireworks going off for the past week in preparation for the events! I loooove fireworks.
We were honored with several invitations to celebrate CNY with friends. They have open houses, stocked with delicious catered-in foods, delectable drinks, and so so so many sweets. There are people constantly coming in and out. There are fireworks, lion dances, gifts, festivities galore!
I was not prepared for what a big deal this is. It felt like a "Christmas & Thanksgiving Graduation party on New Years Eve for your Birthday". And that is kind of how our friend described it, as many holidays rolled into two weeks (mainly this weekend though, I think).
We arrived and were greeted with warm smiles and well wishes, ushered to the amazing spread of food, and then relaxed, chatted, and ate to our heart's (and tummy's) content. The Twinsies were given traditional envelopes with a few dollars inside!
At one party was a "Lion Dance" during which men in a traditional "Lion" costume dance. I think we in the States usually call it a Dragon. During the Lion Dance, yards and yards of firecrackers pop and drums bang and clang. Eleanor was not phased by all the noise, but Elijah sure was.
A few of our friends took turns hanging out with him inside.
Alas! The Lion came inside the house too, which Eleanor loved.
The hospitality of our friends and their families is beautiful. We are so grateful to have friends here and to have the opportunity to experience this culture!
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| Photo by my friend's brother! |
Thankfully, Dan and I had finished our month of no sweets! So, after we had dessert upon dessert at the open houses, we also had a vanilla latte and chocolate mocha. All while the babies fell asleep on the way home.
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