Chinese New Year 2009-The Year of the Ox
Celebrating New Year Chinese Style…
January 26th is the chosen day for the Chinese New Year and this year it is the turn of the Ox to be celebrated in all its glory. I love Chinese New Year, I have witnessed its celebrations in Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia amongst the thriving Chinese communities, watched as they decorate their homes, streets and places of work with brightly coloured symbols of luck, prosperity and harmony.
There is something for everyone at these celebrations, it really is a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach and I believe it has much more meaning to the Chinese than the 31st of january is to those of us in the West and we could learn something from the way they respect it.
From a food point of view it is obviously a great time to be in and around the Chinese community and the dishes prepared for banquets and dinners however small or grand often have a story behind their recipes.
I was amazed at the amount of food stalls which sprang up from nowhere, side streets became temporary food malls with back to back street vendors cooking roast duck, rice and noodle dishes as well as the very popular dried sausage which seemed to feature in every other shop and stall. If you are fortunate enough to live in a cosmopolitan area which has a Chinese community then I would definately recommend a visit to their celebrations if not then have a word with your favourite Chinese restaurant, I am sure they will be doing something special to celebrate.
Not only are you a renegade, you’re a traveling one. You’ve been all over the place, haven’t you? I love this photo, by the way. Great colors! Luck, prosperity, and harmony, you say? I better get with it and do some decorating.
:-)
Melissa
P.S. Happy Chinese New Year a few days early.
January 20, 2009 @ 1:07 am
Miles
have you actually eaten the stuff these street vendors are cooking ?
Just wondered whether you were brave enough !
Best
Rod
January 20, 2009 @ 9:27 am
Miles,
What are we waiting for… let’s away to Singapore and wear orchids in our hair and feast until sunrise
My memories are a bit blurred since childhood but I do recall the loud fire crackers and dragons… very scary. Of course these days both the poor dragon and the fire cracker marshals will probably be equally frightened by me
Cid
January 20, 2009 @ 11:41 am
Miles, so true, those celebrations are always very colourful, and the abundance and variety of foods is quite delightful. It’s been quite a few years since my family and I attended local celebrations, so maybe this would be the ideal opportunity for us to do so again.
January 20, 2009 @ 4:16 pm
Melissa,
My lust for travel began at an early age when my Father suggested I take a slow boat to China
Miles
January 20, 2009 @ 8:02 pm
Rod,
Yes I have indeed dabbled and lived to tell the tale. Delicious actually, but that’s another story….
Miles
January 20, 2009 @ 8:03 pm
Cid,
Did they have colour back then? I thought everything was in black and white
Miles
January 20, 2009 @ 8:04 pm
Xenny,
You’re in a great country for sampling food influenced by other traditions, let me know if you get the chance to eat some good Chinese food, I’d be interested to hear about it.
Miles
January 20, 2009 @ 8:06 pm
I love Chinese New Year. I take the kids to Chinatown almost every year for the firecrackers and the food. It will be tough this year - we move to Kip’s Bay from the Upper East Side on 1/28. 18 years in the same neighborhood - will be strange. I won’t be commenting for a while - too much going on and too much to do.
Amazing - we are literally moving 3 miles away and it feels like 100. I’ll catch up when I can - talk to you soon.
January 21, 2009 @ 6:30 am
Dave,
Good luck with the move-rather you than me!
Kip’s bay sounds intriguing, I wish you well.
Miles
January 21, 2009 @ 7:46 am