Since preparations have begun for the celebration of the Lunar New Year, I’d like to wish a happy new year to everyone! Gung Hay Fat Choy, if you speak Cantonese, or Gong Xi Fa Cai, if you speak Mandarin (wishing you happiness and prosperity).
Chinese New Year is a time for settling old debts and quarrels, cleaning away the dust and clutter of the past year, and making way for new or renewed prosperity, happiness and health. It’s a time for new clothes, family gatherings and food (especially food symbolic of good fortune and long life). It is also a festival that celebrates the coming of spring.
In honour of the occasion and all my friends who celebrate Chinese New Year, I made the artwork below with images of spring and good fortune (including flowers cut from “lucky money” envelopes, stems from “lucky paper,” cookie fortune leaves, and coins).
Also, I can’t resist giving a plug to my most recent novel, The Truth About Rats (and Dogs) (see the “My Books” page in the side bar for more info), which includes a Chinese New Year Celebration (I had a lot of fun researching this part of the book). To find out ten things I learned while doing this research, check out my post at cwillbc. And by the way, I just found out The Truth About Rats (and Dogs) has been nominated for the Atlantic Canada readers’ choice Hackmatack Award (for 2008)!
February 15, 2007 at 9:17 am |
we get to start the new year twice
GGW
February 15, 2007 at 6:13 pm |
Congratulations on the nomination! You certainly deserve it! And I like your Chinese New Year art, very cool.
February 16, 2007 at 7:32 pm |
Happy New Year. Winter solstice and Chinese New Year are my 2 favorite holidays. I miss living in the SFBay area this time of year because of all of the festivities, food, and large Chinese community. CongRATS on your book.
February 17, 2007 at 11:34 pm |
Happy Chinese New Year to you too. We’re going to my mom’s for Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner tonight…looking forward to the “hair.” Yummmm!
I love the art, esp. the zodiac flower.
Congratulations also on the nomination. My kids and I really enjoyed the book. In our eyes, it’s already a winner.
February 20, 2007 at 11:56 am |
Wonderful collage and congratulations on the nomination!
February 21, 2007 at 7:54 pm |
Yes, I too enjoyed the art and congratulations on your nomination!!!
February 26, 2007 at 12:05 pm |
Gong Xi Fa Chai!
Great to see your wonderful art!
We couldn’t do it better even we are Chinese.
Wish you a prosperous year in this “Golden Pig” year.
March 10, 2007 at 10:30 pm |
Very cool design! Useful information. Go on!
March 18, 2007 at 1:37 am |
Thank you everyone!
February 5, 2008 at 9:50 pm |
[...] art, which I’ll post here as soon as it’s done. In the meantime, you can click here for last year’s Chinese New Year post and art or click here for a past rat [...]
December 23, 2009 at 6:53 am |
Thanks for sharing. There are not much websites have helpful source of informations like this one. Thanks again because it’s very hard to find something similar.