Lunar New Year

[LCHIEN]

I want to wish everyone a great Year 4706, year of the Rat. Its coming up February 7th this year (the exact date varies from year to year because the Asian new Year or lunar new year is based on the moon (28-day circles around the earth) and the Jan is a Solar-based new year, every 365 days.

My 90-year old dad I saw today said when he was a youth they kow-towed (e.g. deep bow, forehead all the way to the ground) to the elders - he said he recalled the floor being very hard, then they got their red enevelopes with lucky money from the elders and went out and shot firecrackers for ten days.

I didn't get firecrackers for any ten days and no lucky money... must have been convenient for him to forget those traditions when he came over here and had his own kids. He said he didn't even get a lecture on how dangerous fireworks were.

Well, at least go out and have a chinese meal sometime in the ten days starting Feb 7.

[Uncle Cracker]

Well, at least go out and have a chinese meal sometime in the ten days starting Feb 7.

Had one today... Trying to get the jump on things...

[cabinetman]

Oh yeah. Pork fried rice. One of my favorites. Anything beats Chun King. Besides, no fortune cookie in Chun King.
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[leehljp]

Well, at least go out and have a chinese meal sometime in the ten days starting Feb 7.

Will a Japanese meal do? How about Korean? I love bibinpa. But I will go out tomorrow and eat some gyoza (Japanese pronunciation), a.k.a. "pot stickers" on the West Coast, and I believe it is pronounced something like chowza in Chinese. I love it! And I will eat some next week too, in honor of you, when the official celebrations begins.

I am glad you posted this. I appreciate heritage celebrations from different areas being noted on here.

[Pappy]

I want to wish everyone a great Year 4706, year of the Rat.

Finally, I get the honor I deserve!

How hard is it to convert the 2 calenders? I have an antique Japanese ship's lantern and would like to know how old it is.

[jziegler]

Does it need to be an authentic Chinese meal, or will americanized Chinese food do?

I had better not tell some of my neighbors, they set off enough (illegal in NJ) firecrackers anyway, and the dogs hate the noise...

[LCHIEN]

Finally, I get the honor I deserve!

How hard is it to convert the 2 calenders? I have an antique Japanese ship's lantern and would like to know how old it is.

A year is still a year in both calendar systems, but the lunar system has a whole number of lunar cycles per year hence the date moves around. within the solar year based on the Gregorian calendar. Some years have more lunar cycles than others but the seasons count for the year- the endings of the year coincide with the lunar events.

This is lunar year 4706 or Gregorian year 2008, a 500 year old item would have been made in 3206 or 1508, respectively. 500 years old in either system.

Curiously, the chinese traditional way of telling your age is this: when you are born you are one year old, not zero. Then your age always increments on New years day. So if you were born a few days before new years, you would be 2 years old in the traditional chinese fashion even if you only a week old.

And, my wife is a Rat. I'm a Dragon. (in the 12-year cycle, every year is named after an animal)

[cwithboat]

Home for the holidays...Happy New Year
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/01/wo...syahoo&emc=rss