Happy Lunar New Year this Saturday! I hope you enjoy reading my weekly updates and I appreciate any feedback you have.
The Lunar New Year in 2024 falls on February 10th, marking the beginning of the Year of the Dragon. What kind of good dragon do you want to be this year?
There’s a vast population with numerous traditions celebrating the Lunar New Year. To avoid oversimplification yet provide a glimpse into the celebration, I’ve chosen a few common New Year activities to share with you. These are for your information and enjoyment, wherever you are, and include suggestions for celebrating with those you care about.
Let’s dive into some fun traditions and activities to celebrate the Lunar New Year over the next few days!
Mandarin Monday, February 5, 2024 Newsletter
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Have a Feast With Your Coworkers Between Now and February 9th
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The 16th of the 12th lunar month, known as Weiya (尾牙, wěi yá), falls on Friday, January 26, 2024, this year. Weiya literally translates to “tail” and “tooth.” “Tail” signifies that it marks the tail end of a certain period, while “tooth” refers to the traditional bi-monthly festival for the Earth god. It’s the day when bosses host grand dinner parties to express gratitude to their employees for their hard work throughout the past year. Nowadays, Weiya is observed on any day between the 16th of the 12th lunar month, which is January 26, 2024, this year, and the end of the lunar year, which is on February 9. During Weiya, year-end bonuses and gifts are distributed. During the banquet, people gather at round tables, often seating 10 to 12 individuals per table. In some traditions, there might be a dish in the center of the table containing a cut-up whole chicken. The key detail to observe is the direction in which the chicken’s head is pointed. If the chicken’s head points toward an employee, it subtly hints that the person may be terminated from their job. Conversely, it is a relief when the head is directed towards the ceiling or the boss.
As for the dragon-related name for the day, 龍蝦, literally “dragon shrimp” (lóng xiā), is the Chinese name for lobster. If you’re served a lobster meal, hopefully, the lobster’s head is not pointing in your direction!
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This Just Past: Sweet Talk on Saturday, February 3, 2024
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The 24th of the 12th lunar month, known as the Kitchen God Festival (送神, sòng shén), fell on Saturday, February 3, 2024, this year. It literally means “sending [away] god.” According to tradition, it’s the day when the kitchen god and other deities return to heaven to report to the Jade Emperor about whether people have been naughty or nice. Some people place food offerings before the god’s statue and smear its lips with honey to sweeten his words. After this day, people begin deep cleaning their houses to welcome the Lunar New Year.
Dragon-related name for the day: 龍鬚糖 (lóng xū táng), literally “Dragon’s Beard Candy,” is a traditional Chinese confectionery similar to Western cotton candy but smaller. You should try to find it and give it a taste! You’ll surely turn into a sweet-talking dragon!
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Family Get-Together on Lunar New Year’s Eve on Friday, February 9, 2024
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Today is the last day before the Lunar New Year — traditionally, people ensure their house is spotless and all laundry is done. Following the tradition, cook as much as you can because, in the next few days, you’re not supposed to use anything sharp and dangerous, such as a knife, for cooking in the kitchen. At the family dinner, if fish is served, leave some on the plate; don’t eat the whole thing. The Chinese phrase “have fish every year” (年年有魚, nián nián yǒu yú) sounds the same as “have surpluses every year” (年年有餘, nián nián yǒu yú). Many enjoy staying up all night tonight with family members after they all have dinner together.
Lunar New Year’s Eve is called 除夕 (chú xì). The old year ends (除, chú, meaning to remove or eliminate) on this night (夕, xì, meaning evening), hence its name.
Dragon-related term for the day: 大排長龍 (dà pái cháng lóng), literally “big line long dragon,” poetically combining to mean “a long queue resembling a large dragon.” Imagine the long queues of people waiting to pass through TSA checkpoints at airports before major holidays. I hope this reminder helps: when you see a Chinese dragon flying in the sky, shout “Long!” This is because the Mandarin word for “dragon” (龍), pronounced lóng, is similar to the English word “long,” albeit with a descending tone.
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Lunar New Year’s Day Will Be on Saturday, February 10, 2024
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Lunar New Year’s Day. Today your phone might ring off the hook and text messaging greetings may come nonstop. Slightly bow your head and say, “Gong Ssee Gong Ssee (恭禧恭禧, gōng xǐ gōng xǐ),” literally, “Congratulations, congratulations!” to everyone you meet. It’s a great day to personally visit relatives, good friends, and people you care about. Enjoy tea with them. Fill red money envelopes with cash and give them to the elders in the family, your kids, and other children and teens close to you.
Dragon-related name for the day: Black Dragon Tea.
You must have heard of Oolong tea. It’s 烏龍茶 (wū lóng chá), literally “Black Dragon Tea.” One of the most renowned Oolong teas is called Frozen Summit Oolong Tea (凍頂烏龍茶, dòng dǐng wūlóngchá), produced on Dong Ding Mountain in Taiwan. 凍頂 (dòng dǐng) literally means “fronzen top” or “feel very cold at top”. The year-round low temperatures of Dong Ding Mountain, coupled with its unique soil and abundant water sources, result in Frozen Summit Tea that is especially fragrant, brisk, and pure.
There is also another hand-picked Oolong tea variety from Taiwan called 東方美人 (dōngfāng měirén), literally “Eastern Beauty.” Because the tea leaves have obvious white tips, it is also referred to as “White Tip Tea.” What’s unique about this tea is that it is produced from leaves bitten by tea insects, which release natural chemicals in the bitten leaves, creating a honey-like taste. Legend has it that Queen Elizabeth II associated this Taiwanese specialty Oolong tea with Oriental dancers and named it “Oriental Beauty,” making it famous globally. Regular Oriental Beauty Oolong costs about US$48 for 150 g (a bit more than 5 oz.) in Taiwan, while award-winning ones cost between US$100 and US$220 per 5 oz. Let me know when you acquire the finest Oriental Beauty Oolong tea one day and invite me over for a tasting, as it usually sells out immediately after each competition. One news article mentioned that the champion tea sold for more than US$4,600 per 5 oz.
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Visit Someone Whom You Appreciate on Sunday, February 11, 2024
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The tradition for the second day of the Lunar New Year is for married daughters to visit their parents. Don’t forget to bring a gift, preferably something tasty and sweet, especially when visiting your parents or in-laws. It’s also a good day to express your gratitude to those who have helped you.
Dragon-related name for the day: Spinach: You call it spinach. Some Chinese call it Flying Dragon Vegetable. 飛龍菜 (fēi lóng cài), literally “Flying Dragon Vegetable,” is one of the alternative Chinese names for spinach, in addition to the more commonly known 菠菜 (bō cài). Another fact I discovered is that China produces over 90% of the world’s spinach, making it the leading producer. The United States is the 2nd-largest producer, with just about 1% of the world’s production, while Türkiye comes in third with less than 1%. It seems the Chinese have really taken Popeye’s advice to heart — they’re not just eating their spinach; they’re practically stockpiling it!
When dining with your in-laws, make sure there’s no spinach stuck in your teeth.
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Take It Easy on Monday, February 12, 2024
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It’s considered inappropriate to visit relatives and friends on the third day of the Lunar New Year, according to those who strictly adhere to certain old traditions. You should rest and go to bed early, given all the activities you’ve engaged in over the last few days.
Dragon-related name for the day: Lee the Little Dragon (李小龍, Lǐ xiǎo lóng) is what people called Bruce Lee in Chinese. If you’re staying in today, you might enjoy watching Bruce Lee’s films The Way of the Dragon (in Chinese, it’s called 猛龍過江, which means “Fierce Dragon Crossing the River”) or Enter the Dragon (its Chinese name is 龍爭虎鬥, meaning “Dragon Fights Tiger”). Just make sure not to watch them right before bed. A friend told her husband to stop watching fight movies at night because he almost hit her once, thinking he was boxing in his dream.
That’s all from me for now. I’ll be back with more next week.