Fu~Blessings (an obvious reason why this would be part of my sister's Chinese name)
Today marks the beginning of the fifteen day Chinese Lunar New Year celebration! Legend has it that 4,000 years ago the Chinese emperor had a race to determine the sequence of animals in the twelve year cycle. We begin the year of the rabbit today, who finished fourth in the race.
To prepare, families sweep their houses only the day before festivities begin and not during so as not to sweep away the good luck that will arrive. Houses are enfolded in red lanterns and scrolls, while firecrackers are lit in the night streets and dragon dances are performed to scare away evil spirits. The most popular foods eaten during this celebration are fish, which symbolize success, and dumplings, which symbolize prosperity (because they look like gold!). Noodles represent longevity, while mandarin oranges are for luck. And of course, children receive red envelopes filled with money, usually even numbered in count (8 is the Chinese lucky number) because odd numbers are unlucky.
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