Chinese New Year preparations 年廿八洗邋遢
This Saturday is Chinese New Year, and it will be the year of the rat. If you were born in 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, or every 12 years before or after, this is your year.
這個星期六是農曆新年。 家人不在台灣，所以我倆都不會有特別的慶祝活動。但一點點兒的過年預備也總要有！
RED PACKETS
I don't really celebrate Chinese New Year (CNY), mainly because its more of a traditional family thing and our families aren't here. Having said that, I will do a little prep for the new year. Today I went to the supermarket to pick up some groceries. They were selling a lot of CNY decorations including some red packets. People put money inside these red packets or hongbao as they are called in mandarin and give them to kids as a good luck gift. When I was in Hong Kong, most red packet are pretty plain and boring. Many companies give them out free as promotion so their company name and logo is slapped all over it.
These ones in Taiwan are really great and have fun messages printed on top. For example, this one says For the person I love most. I'm sure this will bring a smile to the recipient's face. But then it says I say this to everyone in smaller letters. How cheeky is that!!!
今天去大賣場買過年吃的餸菜，見到台灣的紅包非常可愛。 這一款給最愛的你，一定讓收紅包的人甜上心頭。但原來還有一行小小的字，其實我對每個人都這麼說。很壞喔！
This one says I love money a lot, but the smaller letters says I love you even more. That is so sweet!
這一款我很愛錢，似乎有點拜金。原來重點是但我更愛你。 甜！
This says I'm not giving you money, followed by I'm giving you lots of thoughts. That is so true, it's the thought that really counts.
又或者這一款，我包的不是錢，是滿滿的心意 。有時心意真的比錢更加重要喔！
There were many more differents on sale, but these were just some of my favourite ones. I didn't get any though as people normally give them to kids here and I don't know any kids.
這個紅包上有三個字，好～美～女。 無論怎樣讀，都一定愛讓劉美女@deanliu很開心 。這個非常有趣。還有這個社會在走，紅包要有。看上雖然沒什麼特別， 但我覺得非常有理，雖然社會向前走，但有些傳統還是可以共存。
CALLIGRAPHY
Every year, about a month before CNY, we will start to practice writing lucky phrases at the calligraphy classes. These are written on special red paper to hang at home as decorations. I wrote this pair of couplet this year. People usually hang them by the front door, but mine is not good enough to be put on display, I figured I'd get more self-satisfaction if I look at them every day so I put them up by my TV.
每年農曆新年將近，書法老師都會要我們練習寫揮春。 我寫的對聯很醜，沒有貼在大門外。還是貼在大廳裏慢慢自己欣賞吧！
A couple of my friends didn't mind my sub standard work, and asked for some to decorate their home. I was more than happy to oblige of course. The two square ones is the word rat written in an older form of writing. Chinese writing is developed from pictogram, and writing it this way adds a bit of fun to it. Do you think it looks like a rat?
有兩位朋友很支持我，不介意作品未達水準。我當然非常樂意送上我寫的揮春，為他們家中增添過年氣氛。(置頂照片的鼠字揮春是老師寫的喔！)
GIFTS
Unlike Christmas, we don't normally exchange gifts during CNY. However, I wanted to thank my friend who always take me to all the great hikes I post about, the last one was from a month ago. So I got him a box of special meal for when he celebrates the new year with his family. These are become very popular in Taiwan now so people don't have to cook complicated dishes from scratch
中國人過年，不太像西方聖誕節互送禮物。 但為了答謝朋友經常帶我們去爬山， 我訂了一盒年菜送給他與家人團年 。 而他也非常有心，回贈我一盒手工做肥皂。 在香港過年有句話，年廿八洗邋遢 ， 這個剛好用得上！
My friend was really sweet, and he bought me a box of hand made soap made by a local organisation for the disadvantaged. These are cold press soap and come in three different fragrance, herbs, ginger and bamboo charcoal. I'm looking forward to try them all out when tradition says I have to cleanse myself for the Chinese New Year!!!
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So fun. I remember the red envelopes for Chinese New Year and getting them. It was great! I still have some of the calligraphy writing too. Fun post and sayings.
Getting the red envelopes was certainly the best part especially when you had a generous gifter!!!! Did you do calligraphy writing as well?
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No I didn't do it. I bought some cause it is so beautiful.
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Very cool. It's always a great celebration there. I hope you have a great New Year.
Thanks. Does your local community have any Chinese new year celebrations? I see youre from Atlanta, do you have á large Chinese community there?
It's possible, but I get a lot of information about China from ADVChina (Winston and Matthew) YouTube creators. They also have their own separate channels, SerpentZA and LaoWhy86.
I'll check them out!
We are already getting giftsets and envelops from friends.
5 day holiday coming up for me!
My wife is a rat.
Happy New Year!
That's a long holiday! Is Chinese new year considered a major holiday or are you just taking time off yourself?
Actually in Korea it is called lunar new years (seollal 설날). It's definitely the most important holiday of the year.
Everyone gets 4 days off this year, but my company is generous so I get one more day.
We will eat rice cake soup because we all turn one year older. So technically a baby born on december 31st 2019 will turn 2 on this Saturday, eventhough the been out for only a month.
Yes, lunar new year makes sense because it is based on the lunar calender that doesn't really belong to any specific country. Though I am surprised to learn its the most important holiday of the year, seems like Confucianism has a much deeper influence than I thought.
The Chinese have the same thing as well, the baby is considered one year old when born
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D字够特别
過年最重要大家都開心😊
There are a ton of New Year preparations happening in Vietnam now as well although it is called "Tet" here as I am sure you already knew ;) I didn't realize this when i booked my ticket here and according to people that are more familiar with it they said "it's a good thing you came this week and not next" because my primary objective is to find an apartment while i am here.
They said this because apparently pretty much everything is going to be shut for the next week.
Have a great new year!
Actually I only knew it's called Tet in Vietnam as I read it in another recently ^_^
Have you found a place to settle down yet?
yeah, put the deposit on a compact but perfectly functional 1 bedroom 200 meters from the beach. I am enthusiastic about moving there because after a week in this fine city, i can find no fault in it.
It sounds great !
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great!!! 👍 i wish you a happy New! 🙌
Thank you !!!
Your welcome 😊
Xin nian kuai le!
As a 1984 birth, the Year of the Rat is my year.
In other news, I like the way you describe Taiwan's CNY celebrations. The cheeky little sarcastic messages on the hongbao's are hilarious, and they make such a light-hearted change from the pompous, ponderously pretentious way everything on the Mainland is so falsely ceremonial.
It seems like the Taiwanese are much better at not taking everything so somberly and seriously as the bloody Mainlanders.
Creativity is at the heart of many things in Taiwan here, they don't need to be told and aren't dictated on what they can and can't do _
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gracias! De verdad gracias, por compartir tú experiencia, en particular me ayuda a prepararme para este inicio del año chino. Soy de Venezuela.
gracias por tu comentario
Este comienzo se trata de ayudarse uno mismo antes de tratar de preocuparse de los negocios de los demás, es el año de emprender. Es el momento de crear, dirigir e inventar, tenemos que ser inteligentes e intelectual, este año sera marcado desde lo espiritual y desde nuestra conciencias. Habra grandes cambios y transformaciones. El signo rata tendrá un sin fin de oportunidades.
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Hi @livinguktaiwan
I trully wonder if this year Chinese New Year won't be different from any other ones. I'm following news from Wuhan and for many people this may not be the happiest time :(
Yours, Piotr
This year will certainly be a different Chinese New Year for many, lets just hope things will get better
dear @livinguktaiwan
I used to live many years in Malaysia so I know how this period of time is important for Chinese population.
ps. Do you use discord? Contact me: crypto.piotr#3426
I've read about your 'conversation' with @transisto and I would like to help.
Cheers
Piotr
The mouse pictogram is super cute! Happy Lunar New Year 2020 in advance! :-)
Thanks. Pictogram may actually be a lot easier to write for many, me included 😂
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Those are really cute angpow packets haha
And I think your calligraphy looks good..
Of course, I am no expert... but still :D
Thanks Sheila, hope you had a good holiday today, and best wishes to you and family for the new lunar year!
<33