Image Courtesy of Jim Nix on Flickr

It is an annual tradition for my family to celebrate Lunar New Year. Lunar New Year is based off the lunar calendar, which uses the shapes of the moon to determine the solar year. Lunar New Year is celebrated in many places other than China, including Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, Vietnam, and more. Each year is symbolized by a zodiac sign. There is a total twelve zodiac signs: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. This year is the year of the dragon. This year, Lunar New Year came much earlier than most times, as this year it was celebrated on January 23, when the New Year usually occurs in February.

We always gather at my grandmother’s house, and hand out lucky red pocket. Lucky red pocket is a Chinese tradition where families show their gratitude towards each other and hand out money enclosed in this lucky red envelope. In my family, only unmarried children receive lucky red pocket money. Once someone becomes married, they carry the responsibility of handing out lucky red envelopes to the children in the family. I know many of my friends who receive significant amounts of money in each envelope, (approximately $40 each), and they earn a lot during this time of year. In my family, I receive $2 from everybody, as my family is too large to give $40 to everybody. This is why I receive only a portion of what my friends receive. The money is just a little added bonus, but the most important part is seeing everybody and tasting the great food. We always have amazing food, including deep fried chicken, traditional Chinese dishes, and many Chinese appetizers. This year, we substituted crab for lobster for the first time. This Lunar New Year was like the others, but with an added bonus of lobster.

Gratitude: Noun, the quality of being thankful and showing appreciation

Responsibility: Noun, the state of having a duty to deal with something