First I want to wish everyone a happy Valentine’s Day, and second a Happy Chinese New Year…Gung Hay Fat Choy!
Today is Valentine’s day and also Chinese New Year, they both share one color, Red.
Red is the color of energy, love, and passion, and that is why red roses and gifts wrapped in red play a dominant role on Valentine’s Day.
Photographs by Justin Lucarelli
The color of Red in Chinese culture usually means good luck, the sound of the Chinese word for red is ‘hong’, which means prosperous, so red is an auspicious color and has an auspicious sound, and today is the start of the year of the Tiger.
Image source
So what is in store for you this year? Here is a prediction by Dr. Maoshing Ni for theYear of the Tiger: Big Changes Ahead. In Chinese astrology the tiger is one of the most dynamic and powerful signs. Its nature is unpredictable, courageous, and explosive. Therefore, the year of the Tiger is usually associated with big changes and social disorder; 2010 is likely to be a turbulent year—on both a global and a personal level…When you meet the challenges head on and get proactive about your health, you will be all the stronger for it by year’s end. To read more.
Lee looks forward to getting the red money envelopes that she gets on Chinese New Year.
Chinese Zodiac Sign Calculator to find out what animal sign you are.
14 comments
Comments feed for this article
February 14, 2010 at 5:12 am
giiid
Happy Valentine´s day. Are you celebrating Chinese new year? If so, I wish you a happy one to come. The red envelopes are beautiful, I haven´t heard about this tradition before.
February 14, 2010 at 12:16 pm
Nye
Hi giiid, Happy Valentine to you and yours. Yes, my dad is half Chinese and we celebrate Chinese New Year. The little kids and single people can rack up quiet a bit of money at this time of the year because if you’re not married, than the elders would give you money in a red little envelope for good luck. I think Lee likes this part of the tradition a lot.
I don’t know if you heard of the Chinese Zodiac Signs, there are 12 signs and depending on the year that you were born, you’re that animal sign. Here is a website that tells you what you’re depending on the year that you were born, I think it tells a very accurate of what type of person you are.
February 14, 2010 at 12:04 pm
mozemoua
Happy Chinese New Year and Happy Valentines to you and your family too Nye!!
I remember when we were living in California, I was only in grade school, I believe it was in 3rd grade at the time, my American teacher is really big on culture so she taught us all how to write “Happy New Year” in Chinese and she also handed us all a little red envelope with a dollar in it.
February 14, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Nye
Hi mozemoua, thanks. I used to get the red little envelope when I was little, but now it’s giving out the red little envelope. When I was in the 6th grade, some of my Chinese friends came to school bragging about getting as much as $300 red envelope money and here I only got less than $10, but I was happy with my $10. The best part was getting to eat all the sweet treats that my dad bought for Chinese New Year.
February 15, 2010 at 6:38 am
eerenoon
Happy Chinese New Year 2010!!! None of my new shirts are Red… lol…
Nothing much this year… A little bit slow for my side… Ang Pao collection is a very sad case… 555…
Anyways, hopefully you hav lots of good luck in this year of tiger…
February 15, 2010 at 11:30 pm
Nye
eeren, thanks, you certainly don’t want to wear red shirt, might not be too lucky in Thailand! As for this year, as long as I work hard, I might stay ahead for once.
February 15, 2010 at 9:28 am
Scott Thomas Photography
The tigers I have photographed in zoos always have a twinkle in their eyes and an intensity often not seen in captive animals. I can see why the prediction is for a rough year. But those often make one stronger.
Happy New Year, Nye!
February 15, 2010 at 11:42 pm
Nye
Thanks Scott, A tiger is a very powerful sign for the Chinese, I vividly remember the image that you took, they must have took good care of him to be so content.
As for the prediction, after all, it’s just a prediction but what I look at is the good things that we need to embrace and bad that we need to avoid and not blindly walk into it. Hopefully we’ll overcome our obstacle and true that it only makes us stronger.
February 16, 2010 at 1:21 am
Cambree
Gung Hay Fat Chow to you and the family
I saw so many beautiful flowers at the local Chinese markets. Quince blossoms, orchids, and tuberose. It made me look forward to more spring blossoms.
February 16, 2010 at 11:11 pm
Nye
Cambree, thanks. It still looks very wintry outside, but I’m ready to work outdoor, I just hope that it’ll get warmer in the next few weeks or so. I’m ready for spring and summer.
February 16, 2010 at 10:09 am
The Symbol of Completeness « Nye Noona
[...] 16, 2010 in Food | Tags: Chinese New Year I would say that Chinese New Year is like Thanksgiving for Americans, as most have to have a turkey as part of the feast. As for [...]
February 16, 2010 at 6:32 pm
lady0fdarkness
happy v day nye! sorry I’m way late. lol
February 16, 2010 at 11:39 pm
Nye
lady0fdarkness, thanks. It’s better late than never.
February 3, 2011 at 1:50 am
Happy Chinese New Year « Nye Noona
[...] also predicted that this will be a placid year, very much welcomed and needed after the ferocious year of the Tiger. We should go off to some quiet spot to lick our wounds and get some rest after all the battles of [...]