Gong Xi Fa Cai, or, Happy Chinese New Year, everybody!
You may be wondering: "But, Brandon, you're in Thailand, why are you celebrating Chinese New Year?" Well, something I didn't quite realize till I arrived in Thailand and learned more about the ancestry of Thai people was that about 40% of Thai people have Chinese ancestry. Also, there are many Chinese immigrants in Thailand, especially in Central and Northern Thailand. Where I live in Suratthani, there is a significant Chinese population as well. My host family, however, is of mostly Malay origin, but we did celebrate some of the traditions of this exciting holiday!
Chinese New Year this year is celebrated today, Thursday, February 19th, 2015. It is currently late afternoon, and festivities have been taking place all day long. Tonight, there will be a large firework show down on the riverfront. Fireworks are an important celebration of this holiday. Did you know that the Chinese invented fireworks thousands of years ago?
On Chinese New Year, many businesses and homes display decorative red, gold, and white decorations and tapestries stating "good luck" or "good fortune" in Mandarin or Cantonese. Red and gold (red particularly) are considered "lucky" colors. Children often receive red envelopes of "luck money." I, unfortunately, did not receive any luck money! Those who celebrate will also place flower bouquets on the grills of their cars. Like I previously mentioned, my family doesn't really celebrate this holiday but they did celebrate with a feast at dinner! We ate Thai food, but Thai-Chinese families will celebrate by feasting on traditional Chinese dishes with friends and family ALL day. Many tangerines/clementines/oranges are also given as gifts on this day or eaten with the meals.
Many countries around the world have strong Chinese influences and therefore celebrate in varying ways. This was my experience celebrating Chinese New Year here in Thailand!
Until Next Time,
Brandon
