Kung Hei Fat Choi--4702--Year of the Monkey

[MavKikiNYC]

Happy New Year to the Wangster!


How To Throw A Traditional Chinese New Year Party


JANUARY 18TH, 2004

Thursday is the beginning of the Chinese Lunar New Year, a 15-day celebration of renewal, prosperity and good will.

“According to the Chinese calendar, it's year 4702, and it's the year of the monkey,” said Ching-Yh Chen, the president of the Pearl River Mart. “Monkey symbolizes smart, so it's a good year.”

One way you can join the festivities is to throw a party. NY1 paid a visit to the Pearl River Mart in SoHo, where Ching-Yh shared the traditions observed in a Lunar New Year gathering. From food to flowers, it's all about welcoming good fortune.

“Fresh flowers mean new life for the new year, and of course flowers are very pretty and happy,” Ching-Yh said.

Traditional foods include oranges or tangerines, for abundant happiness, and red pistachio nuts.

“Each of them are opening,” Ching-Yh said of the pistachios. “By eating these, you wish that the whole year you have a lot of happy things to make you smile.”

A variety of pastries, such as sesame balls, are part of the New Year spread.

“We eat this in the new year because Chinese like the shape of round, which means there is no corner and everything is so complete and smooth,” said Ching-Yh. “It also means family is going to be together.”

Fortune cakes, or fa ga, meaning “prosper cake,” is made of rice flower and fried into the shape of gold. “It means you’re going to have a lot of money,” said Ching-Yh.

A typical Chinese New Year cake and is made of sticky rice, and you're supposed to slice it into pieces, fry it and eat it. “It means each year you grow a little bit higher,” said Ching-Yh.

You can also set out a round tray filled with dried fruits and Chinese candy. “Typical things you would see are lotus roots, for a big family and a lot of kids,” said Ching-Yh.

When it come to decor, think red. The vibrant color symbolizes happiness and good fortune. You can also hang lanterns, "poetic couplets" or banners expressing best wishes, as well as Chinese ornaments and decorative firecrackers. The loud noises are said to ward off evil and bad luck.

For children or young adults are attending a Chinese New Year party, it's tradition to give them red envelopes filled with crisp, new bills.

“It doesn't matter how much money you put in, but definitely don't let them leave empty-handed,” said Ching-Yh.

Kung Hei Fat Choi! (Happy New Year!)

- Shazia Khan

[LRB]

A typical Chinese New Year cake and is made of sticky rice, and you're supposed to slice it into pieces, fry it and eat it. “It means each year you grow a little bit higher,” said Ching-Yh.

Yao must have ate a lot of fried sticky rice.

[TripleDipping]

and you're supposed to slice it into pieces, fry it and eat it.

ROFL... did he even have to mention the final part? What else can you do with it after frying it? Use it to put up wallpaper?


EDIT: Happy Chinese New Year to all the Chinese posters... and non-Chinese posters who just want a reason to party. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/img]

[ames7]

Happy New Year to you all. Best wishes for the new year. [img]i/expressions/wine.gif[/img]

[Buzzard Breath]

Man, you gotta love monkeys.