Chinese New Year

CHINESE NEW YEAR, or Spring Festival, celebrates the beginning of spring, a time to say goodbye to the past and welcome the future. It begins on the 2nd new moon after the winter solstice and lasts about 2 weeks, ending with the Lantern Festival. The holiday dates back thousands of years and many believe commemorates the conquest of Nian, a terrible man-eating beast that was scared off with loud noises and red fire. Years are grouped in sets of 12, each year represented by an animal.

2011 is the Year of the Rabbit. This year's rabbit is the metal rabbit, last appearing in 1951. The inner nature of the rabbit lends its characteristics to both people born that year and the year itself. Rabbits are peaceful, virtuous and wise, so look for those attributes in the coming year.

RABBITS are trustworthy, clever, ambitious, articulate and the luckiest of the 12 zodiac animals. They love to express themselves, excelling in art, music and literature. They can be obsessive – immersing themselves in their projects – and are kind, have a strong sense of justice and love beauty. They are diplomatic and organized. The rabbit's serious facade hides a vulnerable interior. They love family and friends.

IN PREPARATION for new beginnings, homes are cleaned to remove any bad luck from the previous year and to appease the Kitchen God, who will return to the Jade Emperor with a full report. Brooms and brushes are put away and doors painted. Debts are paid and differences resolved.
THE COLOR RED represents joy and luck and is used liberally in decorations. New red clothes are worn to ward off evil spirits and red envelopes are given out containing an even amount of "lucky money" or sweets.

FOODS that symbolize abundance and good fortune are served during the festivities – fish and chicken for prosperity (served whole, including feet, to symbolize completeness), peanuts and noodles for longevity, coconut for unity, oranges for wealth and persimmons for happiness. Gourds are a symbol for health and longevity. Tangerines are given with leaves intact to assure that relationships remain strong and lettuce wraps are filled with lucky foods to bring rising fortune. It is traditional to serve a "Togetherness Tray", a round tray containing sweets (candy for a sweet year and circular for togetherness).