Gung Ha Fat Choy - Gong Xi Fa Cai

The Year of the Horse

Tonight is the start of the Chinese (Asian) New Year and the festivities surrounding it throughout Asiatic communities everywhere.  2014 is the Year of the Horse - the seventh of the twelve signs of the Chinese Zodiac.

Born Under the Sign of the Horse

People born in the years of the Horse years (2014, 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966, 1954, 1942, 1930, 1918) are cheerful, fun loving, bright and popular. They attract many friends with their child-like innocence, happy nature and their natural charm.  They love parties and find being surrounded by people and crowds exciting.  Like the horse of their sign they are highly intuitive and follow their hunches.  Often that keen judgment and intuition help them make the right decisions in life. Normally they don’t need to struggle in order to succeed and eagerly grasp the things life has to offer.

Horses are of a carefree nature and need room to give voice to their self expression. When hemmed in by rules a proud Horse rebels against being corralled or tamed.  Horses  are frank and will say exactly what they think.  Last year, the year of the Snake, was the time for secrecy was, now is the time to be open and above board especially with family.

The most auspicious years for the the Horse are in those of their own sign and Tiger, Sheep, and Dog years. The Year of the Rat year is the least fortunate for Horse.

When the Horse Arrives May Good Luck Come Also

 Fú Lù Shòu 

Amongst the many customs of New Year's - hui chun, dragon dances, fireworks, family reunions and special food - special attention is paid to the Three Deities of Fortune during this time of year.

Fú Lù Shòu is the Taoist concept of Good Fortune, Prosperity and Longevity.  These three stars were considered the personification of the deities of these attributes of a good life.  By tradition they are arrange with Fu to the right, Lu in the middle and Shou on the left.  Statues of the three gods are found in nearly every Chinese home and many Chinese-owned shops.  They are given place on small altars with a glass of water, an orange or other offerings, especially during Chinese New Year.

Their placement in a house or shop often depends on what is being sought by the person.  They are always placed higher up in a room - a lower position is thought of as disrespectful.

• Placing the Three Wise Men in the Southwest helps you to bear a child.

• Placing them in the Western area will help to bring  wealth and guard  wealth from diminishing).  The Fu Lu Shou placement here also brings joy and celebration to the home.

• Putting them in Northwest part of a room helps to bring the three good fortunes to the husband or father of the family.

• A place in the North of the house or room helps to bring creativity luck and wisdom. 

Fu Star - God of Happiness and Good Luck

It is derived from the planet Jupiter - a star that the ancient Chinese thought was in charge of agriculture.  The Chinese astrology says that where there is the planet Jupiter shining, the people will have good luck and fortune.  Another story links the Fu Star with Yang Cheng, a governor of Daozhou who wrote a missive to the Emperor ask that his people be exempt from a onerous special tribute.  He request was granted and  in thanks for this act a temple was built to him as the personification of good fortune.

Fu is often depicted in a scholar's robe,  carrying a baby boy and holding a scroll. The scroll is 家谱 jia pu, a record of a clan's history and lineage. This symbolizes harmony in the family. A fortunate man. In Chinese culture, you are also considered lucky if you have a male offspring (to continue the family surname). A happy man indeed.

Lu Star - God of Prosperity

This is Ursa Majoris or the Great Bear, the sixth star in the Wenchang of traditional Chinese astronomy. The Lu star is believed to be Zhang Xian a court official who lived during the Later Shu dynasty. For this reason the statue is always dressed in the expensive robes of a mandarin.   He also holds a ceremonial scepter known as 如意 ru yi symbolizing power and good fortune.  As a mandarin he is considered wealthy (lu specifically refers to the salary of a government official). As such, the Lu star is the star of prosperity, rank, and influence.

The Lu star was also worshipped separately from the other two as the deity dictating one's success in the Imperial Examinations, and therefore success in the imperial bureaucracy.  Once that position had been attained prosperity was almost certain.

 

Shou Star - God of Longevity

This is the Antartic Canopus star, or the South Pole star.  In Chinese astronomy it is known as the Old Man Star. According to legend Shou was carried in his mother's womb for ten years and was already an old man when born.  He is always pictured as smiling and friendly, has a long white flowing beard and a high, domed forehead.  He leans on his staff for support in his old age and always carries with him the Peach of Immortality.

Longevity is wise, knowledgeable and if called up could rule the world.  At major festivals he is worshipped in thanks for granting the elders in the family a long life. The  Shou star brings a 'long and fruitful life.

So as we approach the Year of the Horse may the Three Wise Men give you Happiness, Good Luck, Prosperity and Longevity.

Gung Ha Fat Choy - Gong Xi Fa Cai

January 31 - 1929: The Soviet Union exiles Leon Trotsky.

Gung Ha Fat Choy - Gong Xi Fa Cai -

*The traditional Chinese New Year's greeting in Cantonese and Mandarin

Today is the fifteenth and final day of the celebration of the 6th year in the 12 year cycle of the solar-lunar calendar in most Asian cultures.  According to the astrology and legends of Northern Asia this is the year of the Snake.

And the predictions for the coming year:

After the turbulent year of the Dragon, the snake is a more positive sign, and it will likely bring advances in science, education and research. It is important to be open-minded during the year of the snake, which will be an exciting 12 months. Every one should be on the look-out for jealousy and secrets that work against their  interests.  It will be a year filled with new and different challenges.

For an individual horoscope for your own lunar sign why not check here.  But remember that much the luck for the year begins on your birthday - so in my case the predictions won't take hold until December.

The first month of the lunar calender is Yuan and the old Mandarin word for night was xiao: so today is the Yuanxiao (元宵节) or Lantern Festival.  The evening of the first full moon of the New Year is celebrated by filling the night with the light from lanterns and solving riddles inscribed on the lanterns, lighting candles outside houses to guide wayward spirits, eating glutinous rice balls (yuanxiao or tangyuan) and meeting with family and friends who are like family.

 In earlier times it was also a busy time for matchmakers:  young people went out chaperoned by parents or family and introductions were made between marital prospects.  With time the romantic (?) aspects of the festival gave way to the more generally festive in Northern countries; however it is still celebrated in Malaysia as a day when single women write their contact on mandarin oranges and throw them in a nearby lake or river.  The young men collect the oranges and eat them.  The taste is a good indication of how their relationship with the young lady will turn out - sweet or sour. Apparently the demand for sweet oranges is rather high this time of year.

The stories of how the Lantern Festival came to be are many and vary from place to place and often from century to century.  Some are very simple - Taiyi, the ancient god of heaven had 16 dragons and used them to control the destiny of the human world. Emperor Qinshihuang, who first united China, held the first Lantern Festival to ask Taiyi for good weather and health.

Perhaps the most complex also explains the name of the rice balls eaten on the last day of the New Year.   During the Han Dynasty a young maid at the palace of the Emperor was about to jump to her death when she was stopped from this rash act by a wish old man.  He discovered that she was despondent because she had not seen her family and done her filial duty in many years.  The wise man promised that she would see her family by the end of the New Year.

He set up a fortune-telling booth in the town and everyone who came to him to hear their fortune for the New Year was told the same thing:  on the 15th day of the new year the God of Fire would send a spirit dressed in red and riding a black horse to burn down the town.  The maid pretended to be the fairy and came with a decree on the 13th day warning the Emperor of the impending disaster.

The Emperor turned to the wise old man and asked for his advise.  The old man told him that the God of Fire love to eat tangyuan, those sweet, round glutinous rice balls stuffed with sweet sesame, peanut and red bean paste.   The Emperor decreed that everyone in town should make tangyuan to worship the God of Fire and hang red lanterns outside their homes and light fireworks.  This would both placate the God and deceive him into believing the town was already aflame.

That evening the whole town, including the young maid's family, gathered outside the palace to gaze in wonder at the decorations and feast on the sweets.  The maid and her family were reunited, the festival was a great success with the people and the Emperor hailed for saving them from the anger of the God of Fire.  It became and annual celebration and since the little maid had cooked the best tangyuan both the dish and the festival ever after bore her name:  Yuan Xiao.

Other than yaunxiao, tang yuen is also eaten during auspicious family celebrations and Winter solstice or “dong zhi” (冬至), which usually falls on the 21st or 22nd of December. The round and sticky dumpling balls symbolize family closeness and togetherness.

Sadly the website that allowed me to send Hui Chun, the traditional greetings for New Year's, no longer operates so I will send to all those I love, and to those that they love this greeting for the New Year.

 

And it bears a wish I wish for us all: May All Your Wishes Come True.

24 February - 1607: L'Orfeo by Claudio Monteverdi, one of the first works recognized as an opera, receives its première performance.

龙年吉祥！Gung Ha Fat Choy - Gong Xi Fa Cai

The Dragon is a magnificent beast. In the East, the Dragon is the imperial symbol, the sign of the emperor and the male element of Yang. The Dragon is also synonymous with power and wealth.

It is said that people born in the year of the Dragon carry a natural charisma and are gifted with power and luck. They can also be egoistical and ambitious, almost to the point of megalomania, and will often stop at nothing to get what they want. They can be successful as actors, singers, bankers, financiers, politicians, pharmacists and quite comfortable in many other professions.

The Dragon falls on the following years: 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, and 2012.

 Once upon a time, the Jade Emperor decided to select twelve animals to be recognized as the zodiac (生肖shēngxiāo) signs. In accordance with a decree, the first twelve animals to present themselves to him on the day appointed by the Emperor would be selected as the animals of the Chinese Zodiac.

A right click on the Zodiac will take you to predictions for the coming New Year of the Dragon.  Once you get there just click on your sign and all will be revealed.

The Cat asked the Mouse to help her compete, but the Mouse forgot and the Cat was overlooked. Ever since, there has been bad feelings between the two animals.  The other animals choose the Ox to go first but the sly Mouse rode upon his back so that when the Ox lumbered into the Great Hall the Emperor first espied the Mouse.  So the Mouse was awarded the first place.  However the Tiger and Dragon were angry about the mouse's deception and to placate them the wise Emperor granted them the Kingdoms of the Mountain and the Sea.   The Rabbit also voiced his displeasure and challenged the Dragon to a  race for the fourth position of the celestial signs.  Though the Dragon was swift, Rabbit proved the victor.   That’s how the Dragon became the Fifth Animal in the Zodiac.

The story is told that once in the old times there was a monster called Nián. The monster was enormous and had spiky antenna coming out of its head.  During most of the year it lived in the deepest part of the ocean but on the Eve of the New Year it would rise to the surface and devour people and livestock living on land.  However after many years a wise monk discovered that Nián was afraid of the color red, bright lights and loud-bang noises. So on the New Year's Eve Chinese people put couplets written on red paper up on their gate, hung red lanterns across gate beams, set off fireworks and stayed up all night, which was called "守岁 (shǒusuì)".  It is still the tradition today as people throughout the East approach the New Year with deep lingering feelings for the passing year and a hopeful longing for good things in the coming New Year.

Another tradition that people follow on the New Year is to hang small messages or wishes called Hui Chun in and around their homes and offices, hoping for good fortune during the year. There are many different Hui Chun depending upon the occasion and circumstance. There are Hui Chun asking for sufficient food, domestic harmony, special wishes for the elderly and some wishing students good luck in their studies.

And as I've done in the past I have a Hui Chun that I want to share with all my dear friends:

And may those treasures not be just monetary ones but also the treasures of love, health and happiness.

If you would like to send friends and family a Hui Chun to begin the New Year the people at Discover Hong Kong (one of my favourite cities in Asia) have an interactive site where Hui Chun can be created and sent to family and friends.

22 January - 1506:  The first contingent of Swiss Guards (150 soldiers) arrives in the Papal States.

Gung Ha Fat Choy - Gong Xi Fa Cai*

*A wish for the New Year in Cantonese and Mandarin for the New Year.

With the appearance of the new moon last night a good part of the world's population welcomed in the New Year. The fourth year of the 12 year cycle of the solar-lunar calendar which has its origins in the astrology and legends of Northern Asia this is the Year of the Rabbit. Though we tend to think of it as Chinese New Year's it is celebrated in several other countries in Asia - as an example last night was Tet, the beginning of the New Year in Vietnam.

The prognosis for the coming year according to one sage:

A placid year, very much welcomed and needed after the ferocious year of the Tiger. We should go off to some quiet spot to lick our wounds and get some rest after all the battles of the previous year.

Good taste and refinement will shine on everything and people will acknowledge that persuasion is better than force. A congenial time in which diplomacy, international relations and politics will be given a front seat again. We will act with discretion and make reasonable concessions without too much difficulty.

A time to watch out that we do not become too indulgent. The influence of the Rabbit tends to spoil those who like too much comfort and thus impair their effectiveness and sense of duty.

Law and order will be lax; rules and regulations will not be rigidly enforced. No one seems very inclined to bother with these unpleasant realities. They are busy enjoying themselves, entertaining others or simply taking it easy. The scene is quiet and calm, even deteriorating to the point of somnolence. We will all have a tendency to put off disagreeable tasks as long as possible

Money can be made without too much labor. Our life style will be languid and leisurely as we allow ourselves the luxuries we have always craved for. A temperate year with unhurried pace. For once, it may seem possible for us to be carefree and happy without too many annoyances

Given the current climate I can only hope that the astrologer who predicted this is 100% accurate in their reading of the year ahead.

To find out what you own future holds in the year 4079 on the Chinese calendar just click on the Zodiac sign below.

In the past years I have written about many of the traditions of the 15 days celebration throughout the world including the tradition of sending hui chun or good luck messages to family and friends. These hopes and wishes for the New Year are hung around the house or office in the hope of bringing fortune in the coming year. The people at Discover Hong Kong have a web page that allows you to send hui chun to friends expressing your hopes for their health, prosperity and happiness in this Year of the Tiger.  I used it to send quite a few out this year but have the uncomfortable feeling they may have ended up in friends and families "spam" boxes.

I thought I'd post this hui chun for everyone rather than chance more ending up in "spam" folders and people thinking they've been forgotten:

And that is my wish for all of us as health is, after the sort of year I've seen both for myself and those I love, more important than all the wishes for wealth or prosperity.

Xin Nian Kuai Le

03 febbraio - l'anno del coniglio

Gung Ha Fat Choy - Gong Xi Fa Cai*

*A wish for the New Year in Cantonese and Mandarin.

Yesterday was the first of the 15 days of the New Year according to the Chinese Calender. This is the beginning of the Year of the Tiger, the third year of the 12 cycle lunar-solar calender.

I have written about a few of the many traditions surrounding the festivities to welcome the beginning of the New Year previously: 2009 - The Year of the Ox; 2007 - The Year of the Pig - somehow or other I missed the year of the Rat in 2008 which may have some Freudian significance??? Be that was it may there are so many traditions associated with the holiday throughout Asia - though we call it Chinese New Years it is a cause for celebration in most Asian cultures.

The story of how many of the customs of the new year began and the story of the animal race that determined the signs of the Chinese Zodiac are explain in a far more entertaining manner than I could muster over at Mental Floss. A click on the good luck symbol below will take you there.
Aside from the food traditions - and Jack if you read this I'm sure Mama's Jiaozi were as wonderful as ever - there is also the tradition of sending hui chun or good luck messages to family and friends. These hopes and wishes for the New Year are hung around the house or office in the hope of bringing fortune in the coming year. The people at Discover Hong Kong have a web page that allows you to send hui chun to friends expressing your hopes for their health, prosperity and happiness in this Year of the Tiger.

And if you haven't already done so you might want to check out your Zodiac sign by right clicking on the image and see what the coming year holds for you.

And finally this word of warning for the coming year:

The year of the Tiger is traditionally associated with massive changes and social upheaval. Therefore, 2010 is very likely to be a volatile one both on the world scene, as well as on a personal level.

With that in mind this Hui Chun is for one and all:


15 febbraio - il anno della tigre

Happy Year of the OX

In honour of the approaching New Year I had Chinese food twice this week and it wasn't bad. After two previous experiences at "Chinese" restaurants - one in Roma where the MSG level was enough to guarantee an instant migraine, the other in Munich where the Haus Ming is the only place I know that can ruin white rice - I have been giving them a wide berth. But the WOK I near work was actually good and the jioazi and shao mei were very good, and they served really cheap jasmine tea - Laurent said he almost felt he was back in Beijing.

So we are now entering the Year of the Ox, the second sign of the 12 animal signs that make up the Chinese Zodiac.If you were born in any of the Years of the Ox you might want to check this out. And the rest of us can check out our signs here.

I know that as I am writing this that in Beijing our friend Jack's mother will be making her own jioazi and shao mei for the family New Year's celebration. If you'd like to try your hand at shao mei here's an easy recipe I adapted from Cook's Illustrated.

Filling:

6 ounces medium shrimp , raw, peeled, and coarsely chopped
2 ounces ground pork
6 water chestnuts (peeled if fresh), minced
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons dry sherry or vermouth
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 large egg white , lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
Ground black pepper , to taste
2 tablespoons minced scallions (greens only)

1 package wonton wrappers

Instructions

1. Mix all filling ingredients in medium bowl; let stand about 30 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to make dumplings.

2. Use a 3-inch round cookie cutter to cut square wonton wrappers into rounds. Holding the wonton skin in the cup of your hand, place two rounded teaspoons of filling in the center. Cup your hand around the wonton skin, gathering folds up around the filling. Press the gathered folds lightly around the filling to adhere, forming a cup-shaped dumpling.

3. Spray a collapsible steamer basket* with cooking spray. Fill large Dutch oven with enough water to come to the bottom of the steamer basket. Bring to simmer over medium-low heat; lower basket into Dutch oven. Arrange dumplings 1/2-inch apart in basket. Increase heat to high; cover and steam until the dumplings are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Serve, passing dipping sauces separately.

*I use a bamboo steamer lined with cabbage leaves over a wok of simmering water.

And Hui Chun or luck messages are an important part of New Year's. As well as hanging them in your home or office it’s a nice idea to send one to a friend.

In the meantime: Gong Xi Fa Cai - Gung Ha Fat Choy*

*Wishing you prosperity - in Mandarin and Cantonese

26 gennaio - Eve of the Lunar New Year

Gong Xi Fa Cai - Gung Ha Fat Choy*

*Wishing you prosperity - Mandarin and Cantonese

If the estimated of 155 million people travelling by train alone in China this New Year’s doesn’t impress you then how about the fact that it’s the year 4704 in the Chinese Calendar?

Celebrations started today – well actually yesterday with the time change – all over China for the lunar New Year – the Year of the Boar (Pig) in the Chinese Zodiac. This is the end of the 12 year Zodiac cycle and also the end of a 60 year cycle which means it is also the year DingHai and therefore a Golden year. Given the odds it normally only happens once in anyone’s life time. Having said that I just realized this is my second but I was only 3 months old at the time so I can be forgiven not remembering much about it.

The celebration begins with the first new moon of the New Year and ends with the full moon 15 days later. As with most cultures there are traditions, taboos and superstitions; and its noticeable how many of the same traditions we observe in the west at New Years.

Hui Chun or luck messages are an important part of New Year's. As well as hanging them in your home or office it’s a nice idea to send one to a friend.

And of course everyone wants to know what’s in store for the New Year so Horoscopes are cast based on your Zodiac sign. You may want trying to find out your prospects for the Year of the Pig by going either here or here – or maybe cover all bases by going to both.

Though many of the traditions throughout the country are common there are variations from region to region. According to Chinese Television the celebrations in the South are of an “exuberant nature” while those of the North are “more austere.” Those decadent southerners! Since one of the Northern traditions is to eat Jiao Zi or steamed stuffed dumplings on the first day I’ll go with Beijing for the food and the exuberant South for almost everything else. Our friend Jack’s mother is a master Jiao Zi maker and I’m sure she has her own secret recipe but I did find this one on the Internet.

All good New Year’s celebrations have fireworks – in fact last night Laurent put his webcam up to the window and we watched the fireworks over Beijing together. Damn technology is wonderful! And though another piece of technology you might just want to create your own fireworks show for the Year of the Boar. 'Cause every once and a while we all need fireworks in our lives.

Xin Nein Kuai Li – Sun Nin Fy Lok**

** Happy New Year - Mandarin and Cantonese