2017 新年快乐 / 新年快樂 (Xīnnián kuàilè) 'New Year happiness!'

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Happy Chinese New Year!

新想事成

xīnxiǎng shì chéng

May all your wishes come true

Chinese New Year 2017

New Year, or the “Spring Festival” as it is known in China, is the longest and most important holiday in China. The Chinese New Year 2017 begins on January 28, 2017. The Chinese New Year’s festivities end two weeks later on the 15th day of the first month on what is known as the Lantern Festival.

During the Chinese New Year’s celebrations, there are many traditional activities, some local and others celebrated universally. The Chinese believe that as they enter a new year, they should start a new beginning. They clean their houses, pay off all of their debts, purchase new clothes, paint their doors, and even get new haircuts in order to have a fresh start for the new year.

Homes throughout China are decorated with special banners, many of which are red and gold; the traditional representations of happiness and prosperity.

One very fun tradition of the Chinese New Year is exchanging gifts. A traditional present that is given is small red envelopes filled with “lucky money”. These envelopes are given to children by their family and friends.

The dragon is a very popular symbol for the Chinese New Year. It is a symbol of strength and good luck. A Chinese New Year 2017 celebration would not be complete without a giant dragon parading down the street. The dragon costume is always very colorful and can be up to 100 feet long. People inside the costume make the dragon move up and down as it zigzags past the spectators.

During the Chinese New Year 2017 you will see fireworks and hear firecrackers! There are many beliefs about why fireworks are used. One belief is that the noise of the fireworks is supposed to scare away all evil spirits allowing the new year to begin without misfortunes.

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Chinese Year of Dragon & New York Knicks

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China + Dragon + Knicks = Power

According to ancient Chinese teaching we have entered the year of the Dragon, one of the most powerful and revered of all Signs.

The Dragon is a symbol of good fortune and intense power in Eastern culture.  In Chinese tradition, the Dragon is regarded as a divine beast.

Just ask the New York Knicks.

Good fortune and power fell in their knickerbockers two weeks ago when they took a chance or read a fortune cookie, whichever story you choose, and put a Chinese-Taiwanese player nobody in the NBA wanted on their roster and into a game.

The rest is history though a short history so far.  The Chinese Dragon smiled down on the Knicks and unknown sensation Jeremy Lin transformed into a superstar, al beit a most unusual humble hero, unusual for the NBA that is.

But the magic of the Dragon was not through with the Knicks.  Just today, Sunday, a second Chinese gift came to the Knicks.

Three days ago American J. R. Smith was playing in a Chinese basketball league in China.

Two days ago he was on a plane headed to NYC having been picked up by the Knicks.

Yesterday he arrived probably suffering from jet lag and too late for team practice.

Today he entered the game having never even practiced with the Knicks and nailed his first two shots from 3 point range.

 

A second gift from the Dragon in two weeks, both with distinct China ties.  Are you beginning to sense some wild Dragon magic might be at work?

Well the Knicks were playing the Dallas Mavericks, the defending national champions and one of the top teams in the NBA.  How about the gifts from the Dragon?  Lin scored 28 points and had 14 assists while Smith scored 15 m0re, a total of 43 points btween them, and enough to lead the Knicks to their 8th win in 9 games since Lin joined the team.

More important, other Knicks are starting to play team basketball and achieve much improved results.  But get this, the star of the Knicks, Carmelo Anthony, has been injured the entire time Lin has played.  Any day he will rejoin the team.

Finally, the Knicks franchised has substantially increased in value on the stock market since Lin joined the team while the greatest fans in America have been fired up with hope for the Knicks following in the New York Giants footsteps to another world championship.

It should be fun.  And then, well if the Dragon is any sign then watch for the blue collar boys from New York to shake things up in the NBA playoffs.   

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Chinese Dominate American Politics, Sports and Dog Shows

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The Year of the Dragon 2012

What a month for the Chinese in America starting with the Chinese New Year on January 23, 2012 celebrating the Year of the Dragon.

Think about the dragon!

In Chinese astrology the dragon is the only animal of the Chinese zodiac year that is not real.

In Chinese astrology the dragon is quite special and very much revered.

The dragon holds special significance for the Chinese people.

More than 4,000 years ago, there were two large tribes and many smaller tribes in China. The tribes had animals as emblems. The two large tribes unified and chose the dragon as their symbol. In fact, the Han Chinese still call themselves the descendants of the Dragon.

In Chinese astrology the dragon was seen as a powerful almighty king because it was made up of different parts of animals such as a tiger, fish, snake and an eagle.

The Chinese dragon was not seen as a threatening evil being as we do in the west - rather a symbol of power, superiority and rule.

Still today, the Dragon is a revered symbol. You can see many sculptures and carvings of the dragon. Even today, the Chinese associate the dragon with power and wisdom.

In Chinese astrology a dragon person is special. Born in the Chinese Year of the Dragon they usually stand out as befits a dragon. They are powerful and wise.

Future Leader of China Visits America

China's leader-in-waiting, Vice President Xi Jinping, met with President Barack Obama Tuesday on the first day of his week in the USA with stops scheduled in Iowaand Los Angeles.

The 58-year-old is expected to succeed China's President Hu Jintao, who must retire as head of the Communist Party later this year and from the presidency in 2013.

He becomes the highest ranking Chinese official to visit the USAsince 2002 and he noted that 40 years ago it was President Richard Nixon who was the first American leader to visit China and open the door to future cooperation.

Nixon's visit to the People's Republic of China in 1972 opened diplomatic relations between the two nations.

Chinese American Jeremy Lin and Linsanity

TORONTO (AP)—Even after his amazing week, this one took Linsanity to a whole new level. Against Toronto on Tuesday, it was Lin for the win!

New York Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin made a tiebreaking 3-pointer with less than a second to play to cap his finishing flurry of six straight points and New York rallied to beat the Raptors 90-87, extending its winning streak to six games.

“I’m just glad it went like this so we can calm the Linsanity down,”cracked Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni.

No chance of that. The NBA’s first American-Taiwanese player, Lin scored 27 points and added a career-high 11 assists in his first game since being named Eastern Conference player of the week.

Pekingese Struts Away with Westminster Dog Show Championship

A Pennsylvania dog has claimed top honors at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.  Malachy, a Pekingese won Best in Show tonight at the 136th New York show, beating seven other group winners.  The victory was his 115th overall best in show title.

The Pekingese is a well-balanced, compact dog of Chinese origin.

Chinese art throughout the ages, starting with the Tang dynasty of the 8th century, abounds with images of the Pekingese, who gets his name from the ancient city of Peking, now called Beijing.

Pekingese were held sacred in ancient China and could only be owned by royalty. At that time, the punishment for stealing a Pekingese was death. Pekingese came to Europe as a result of war. When the British overtook the Chinese Imperial Palace in 1860, they returned home with several of the dogs.
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Happy Chinese New Year - Year of the Dragon

One of my favorite ancient cultures celebrates the New Year of the Dragon today just as it has since before western calendars were ever created.  The Chinese have held onto beliefs and practices from asrtrological to medicine, art to music longer than most people can even imagine.  We should all take time to learn and explore the Chinese people and culture.

If we did we would find in many ways the Chinese have contributed to the march of mankind.  Many people in America are concerned that made in China is a bad thing but one must remember those things made in China for export to America are made to specifications given to the Chinese by American companies.

There are many things in medicine, herbs, art, culture and history where the Chinese origins represent the highest quality in the world.  We owe them a debt of gratitude for these many contributions.  So I say to you and my many Chinese friends:

Please enjoy the photos from the celebrations of New Year across China in this, the Year of the Dragon, beginning January 23, 2012.

 

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