Backwards...

Lina<3, you have started to walk backwards. It is so cute, watching you back up from Mommy when Mommy is trying to make you laugh with silly antics. At first, Mommy did not understand what you were doing, as you just backed up a one step, stop, and walk sideways. Now Mommy knows that you are walking backwards, and it looks like you are trying to moon walk. It is so adorable watching you back up, one step back after the other. Sometimes, you end up walking back into the wall.

Mommy loves it when you learn new things.

Playful Day

Lina<3, it has been two good days. You were very good and continuing to be good as the day ended.

On Friday, you woke up a little fussy, but had a great day playing with Mommy. You were played well by yourself. Then you helped Mommy work on your blog on the computer...well can I really say help, lol because you created more of a mess than helping. You grabbed everything within reach of the computer on the table. There was no satisfaction with the playing with the extra keyboard and mouse that laid in front of you. When things were not in your reach, you climbed on top of the table to try and get it. Mommy tolerated it because you were not fussy, or struggling too much and you were just exploring. When we were done working on your blog, Mommy chased you around and watched you laugh, smile and giggle. You ate all your food during breakfast, snack, lunch, snack and dinner time. When Daddy came home, you enjoyed his company before heading off to bed.

Today was a good day as well, because you were not fussy or scratchy at all. You had both your parents' attention. When Mommy was busy or sleeping in late (which happened this morning), Daddy took good care of you and played with you. And when Daddy's busy, Mommy played with you, chased you, toss you around. Although you did not eat much for lunch and dinner, you were not fussy about it and throwing tantrum like you would do at times.

I enjoy days like this because it shows Mommy that you are having a good day and nothing was bothering you. When you are fussy and Mommy is unable to help, it troubles Mommy and I am sure that it frustrates you as well. I enjoy the fussy days as well because it is another day, and memory with my little Lina<3.

Countdown to Chinese New Year-Day Nine--Taboos and Superstitions

Lina<3, it is nine days to Chinese New Year. Let's get ready for it by learning things some of the superstitions. The Chinese people take these superstitions very seriously, so please pay attention to what Mommy reads (the Chinese New Year taboo and superstitions below) to you.

CHINESE NEW YEAR TABOO AND SUPERSTITIONS

TABOO AND SUPERSTITIONS
House Cleaning
The entire house should be cleaned before New Year. On New Year's Eve, all brooms, brushes, dusters, dust pans and other cleaning equipment are put away. Sweeping or dusting should not be done on New Year for fear that good fortune be swept away. After New Year's day, the floors may be swept. Beginning at the door the dust and rubbish are swept to the middle of the parlor, then placed in the corners and not taken or thrown out until the fifth day. At no time should the rubbish in the corners be trampled upon. In sweeping, there is a superstition that if you sweep the dirt out over the threshold, you will sweep one of the family away. Also to sweep the dust and dirt out of your house by the front entrance is to sweep away the good fortune of the family; it must always be swept inwards and then carried out, then no harm will follow. All dirt and rubbish when taken out must never be through the front entrance but by the back door.

BRINGING IN THE NEW YEAR AND EXPELLING THE OLD
Shooting off firecrackers on New Year's Eve is the Chinese way of sending out the old year and welcoming in the new year. On the stroke of twelve on New Year's Eve, every door in the house, and even windows, have to be open to allow the old year to go out.

NEW YEAR ACTIVITIES SET PRECEDENT

All debts had to paid by this time. Nothing should be lent on this day, as anyone who does so will be lending all the year. In olden times when tinder and flint were used, no one would lend them on this day or give a light to others.

Everyone should refrain from using foul language and bad or unlucky words. Negative terms and the word "four" (Ssu) as it sounds like the like the word for death are not uttered. Death and dying are never mentioned and ghost stories are totally taboo. References to the past year is also avoided as everything should be turned towards the new Year and a new beginning.

If you cry on New Year's day, you will cry all through the year. Therefore, children are tolerated and are not spanked, even though they are mischievous.

MISCELLANEOUS NEW YEAR SUPERSTITIONS
For those most superstitious, before leaving the house to call on others, the Almanac should be consulted to find the best time to leave the home and the direction which is most auspicious to head out.

The first person one meets and the first words heard are significant as to what the fortunes would be for the entire year. It is a lucky sign to see or hear songbirds or red-colored birds or swallows.

It is considered unlucky to greet anyone in their bedroom so that everyone, even the sick, would get dressed and sit in the living room.

Do not use knives or scissors on New Year Day as this may cut off fortune.

It is doubtful that Chinese today actually believe in these do's and don'ts however, these traditions and customs are still practiced. These traditions and customs are kept because most families realize that is these very traditions, whether believed or not, that provide continuity with the past and provide the family with an identity.

PERSONAL APPEARANCE AND CLEANLINESS
One New Year's Day, we are not suppose to wash our hair because it would mean we would have washed away good luck for the new year. Red clothing is preferred during this festive occasion. Red is considered a bright, happy color, sure to bring the wearer a sunny and bright future. It is believed that appearance and attitude during New Year's sets the tone for the year to come. Children and unmarried friends, as well as close relatives are given lai see, little red envelopes with crisp one dollar bills inserted, for good fortune.

Scribble Mania

Time to learn how to scribble, Lina<3. Look at you hard at work with the pictures below. Scribbling leads to better hand coordination to help hold your utensils and toothbrush later on. You started to scribble toward to the end of December 2012 with a shopping list (first photo) and took Mommy’s pen and scribbled away-Mommy kept the shopping list :)

Happy Groundhog Day

It is going to be a early spring, Lina<3.  Mommy is so glad. I am sure that you are waiting to go outside, as you do like to go outside. Now that you are walking, it is going to be an adventure.

Staten Island Chuck did not see his shadow this year.

The city is due for an early spring according to Staten Island Chuck, who did not see his shadow - or old rival Mayor Bloomberg - Saturday morning.
The local groundhog did not spot his shadow when he crawled out of his home in the Staten Island Zoo, which mirrored the prediction of his more acclaimed brethren, Punxsutawney Phil.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/groundhog-staten-island-chuck-predicts-early-spring-article-1.1253801#ixzz2JlUemlh8

Countdown to Chinese New Year--the NYC Lunar New Year Events

The Lunar New Year Celebrations has already begun in NYC since the last week of January, and will continue throughout the rest of the month. There are free events listed below and those you have to pay. It has all been organized in date order.

Mommy hopes that Lina<3 will be able to attend some of these events, pending on the weather. 

Lunar New Year Family Festival

Museum of Chinese in America, Lower Manhattan

Feb. 2

This festival includes family-friendly tours of Chinatown, drop-in arts and crafts activities, a traditional lion dance performance, an opportunity to meet author Michele Wong McSween, and performances and workshops led by Chinatown’s Red Silk Dancers.

Lunar New Year Festival

Children’s Museum of the Arts, SoHo

Feb. 2-3

Explore ancient and modern Chinese art, music, and dance at CMA’s 5th annual Lunar New Year Festival, presented by New York Chinese Cultural Center.

Express Your Inner Snake: Celebrate Lunar New Year at MOCA
Saturday, February 2, 2013; 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Where: MoCA - 215 Centre Street
Fee: free with museum admission. Lots of family-friendly activities, including walking tours, gallery tours, lion dances, readings and crafts.

Welcome the Year of the Snake

Hillcrest Library, Flushing

Feb. 6

Happy Chinese New Year! Enjoy this program for ages children 6-14 and celebrate the Year of the Snake. Seating is limited. Refreshments will be served. Registration is required. FREE!

China New Year Benefit  
Where: Cipriani 42nd Street  
When: Friday, February 8, 2013 ~ 6:30 p.m.
Cost: $6,000 for a reserved table of ten/$600 individual ticket The Annual China Institute benefit includes a cocktail reception and a banquet style dinner, an awards ceremony, traditional entertainment, the Red Envelope collection and dancing.

Lunar New Year Festival 2013

Queens Theatre, Corona 
Feb. 9
Celebrate the New Year by doing hands-on arts and crafts activities in the lobby, followed by a 70-minutes mainstage performance. The performances include traditional Chinese sword, ribbon, folk dance, and Peking Opera featuring the living Peking Opera legend, Qi Shu-fang, as well as the modern Chinese rock band, Hsu-nami, known for its daring integration of the rock sound with the Chinese classical music instrument: Erhu.

Chinese New Year Fun Fair
Planet Han, Upper West Side 
Feb. 9 
Planet Han’s first Chinese New Year Fun Fair will have traditional activities and opportunities to take photos of your child against a Chinese-themed backdrop. RSVP required.

Celebrating Lunar New Year: The Year of the Snake

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Upper East Side

Feb. 9

Stop by the museum to celebrate the Year of the Snake with performances, interactive gallery activities, and art-making workshops for all ages.

Chinese New Year: The Snake 
Brooklyn Children's Museum, Crown Heights

Feb. 9

Kids learn about the Chinese zodiac and the Year of the Snake. Make a craft and discover what this year may bring.

Chinese New Year: The Snake

Brooklyn Public Library, central branch, Prospect Heights

Feb. 9

Performers present examples of Chinese performing arts on this day of celebrating Chinese New Year. FREE!

Lunar New Year Celebration At The Queens Zoo

DATE: February 9, 2013 - February 10, 2013

LOCATION: 53-51 111th St.

TIME: 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM

MORE INFO: http://www.queenszoo.com/plan-your-trip/events-calendar/chinese-new-year.aspx

Slither into the new year.

The Queens Zoo is celebrating the 2013 Lunar New Year with a snake "meet-and-greet" on Feb. 9 and 10.

Families will have the opportunity to view a boa constrictor and a black rat snake as part of the Wildlife Conservation Society's "year of the snake" event from noon to 4 p.m. on both dates.

The weekend will also feature a variety of activities in the Discovery Center, a children's activity room in the zoo, including snake- and new-year-themed craft time and snake-themed storytelling by zoo education staff.

Story time is at 1 p.m., 2:15 p.m. and 3 p.m. each day, and will be followed by a meeting with one of the snakes. Zoo staff will discuss fun facts about snakes, and about the meaning of the Chinese zodiac.

Admission to the zoo is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors 65 and older, $5 for kids 3-12 and free for children under 3. The first 100 children each day will receive a surprise gift.

Read more: http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/events/lunar-new-year-celebration-at-queens-zoo#ixzz2Jhs4RpwJ

Ring in the Lunar New Year

Queens Zoo, Flushing
Feb. 9-10 
The weekend will feature a variety of activities in the Discovery Center including crafts, storytelling, and an exciting meet-and-greet with the zoo's boa constrictor and black rat snake. The first 100 children each day will receive a traditional red envelope surprise from the zoo, and all visitors will receive complimentary hot cocoa and tea.

Macy’s Sunday Story Time: Chinese New Year
DiMenna Children's History Museum at New-York Historical Society, Upper West Side
Feb. 10
Imagine going for a stroll through Chinatown. What would you see, smell, and hear? Share your favorite things about Chinatown at this special story hour.

3, 2, 1...Happy Chinese New Year!

Brooklyn Children's Museum, Crown Heights

Feb. 10, 16

Ring in the Year of the Snake by learning all about the Chinese New Year and making a snake-themed craft.

Firecracker Ceremony & Cultural Festival  
Date: Sunday, February 10, 2013  
Where: from 11 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. in Roosevelt Park (between Grand & Hester Streets) The firecracker detonation, with expected attendance by local politicians and community leaders, is intended to ward off evil spirits. A large stage will feature all-day cultural performances by traditional and contemporary Asian-American singers and dancers. Plus, a dozen lion, dragon and unicorn dance troupes will march through Chinatown’s main streets, including Mott Street, the Bowery, East Broadway, Bayard Street, Elizabeth Street and Pell Street.

China Institute Lion Dance
Where: China Institute, 125 East 65th Street, 212-744-8181  
When: Sunday, February 10, 2013 11 a.m. - noon  
Cost: FREE! Greet the Year of the Dragon with a Lion Dance. This folk tradition is performed by acrobats and martial artists dressed in colorful costumes and accompanied by drums and gongs. This event is very popular and only early arrival can guarantee a good view of the performance. The Lion Dance is held on East 65th Street outside China Institute so prepare for cold weather.

China Institute Lunar New Year Programs  
For Families! Where: China Institute, 125 East 65th Street, 212-744-8181  
When: Sunday, February 10, 2013
Cost: $25-40 member/$30-50 non-member for one child and one adult The China Institute will hold dumpling making, calligraphy/couplet making, and paper cutting workshops to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

Lunar New Year Lantern-Making Workshop

Queens Botanical Garden, Flushing 
Feb. 16 
Celebrate Lunar New Year! Join QBG for a festive afternoon workshop following the annual Flushing Lunar New Year Parade. Create and decorate traditional Chinese paper lanterns in various symbolic colors. Each lantern’s color symbolizes a different wish for a happy New Year. Participants will choose the color that expresses their wish and decorate a lantern to bring home and celebrate.

Lunar New Year Celebration

Florentine School of Music, Art & Academics, Lower Manhattan
Feb. 16
Celebrate the Lunar New Year and Spring 2013 at the Florentine School. Join the free Yamaha music class preview lessons for children ages 3-8 and sample the Chinese Brush Painting and Mandarin classes for kids and adults alike. RSVP required. FREE!

Chinese Ink Brush Painting Workshops
Children’s Museum of Manhattan, Upper West Side

Feb. 16-17

New York Chinese Cultural Center presents these workshops along with performances by young Chinese dancers in traditional costumes. The workshops will feature Chinese crafts and folk art. Registration for the workshop is one hour before each program and tickets for performances are distributed beginning one hour before each performance.

Flushing Lunar New Year Parade - February 16, 2013:

The parade is the highlight of the Chinese New Year celebrations in Flushing. Look for dragon dancers, steel drummers, and fireworks. About 4,000 people march each year.

Viewing Stands: TBD, usually at Flushing Library (Main and Kissena) and at the parade's end. Most people watch on Main St.
Route: Begins, Union St and 39th Ave and usually ends at Main St and 39th Ave. 
When: February 16, 2013. Start time is 11 a.m.

• New Year Festival TBD - at Queens Crossing Mall (39th Ave and Main St) starting at 12:30 p.m.
 

14th Annual Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade & Festival
The parade starts in Little Italy and usually winds throughout Chinatown down Mott, along East Broadway, up Eldridge Street to Forsyth. Time: Sunday, February 17, 2013 at 1 p.m. Begins: Mott/Hester Streets The spectacle features elaborate floats, marching bands, lion and dragon dances galore, Asian musicians, magicians, acrobats and procession by local organizations. Over 5,000 people are expected to march in the parade, which will start at Mott Street and promenade through practically every street in of Chinatown, finally dispersing at Broome/Forsyth. The parade is expected to conclude at 3 pm, at which time an outdoor cultural festival will take place in Sara D. Roosevelt Park featuring more performances by musicians, dancers and martial artists.

Preparing for the New Year: Walking Tour
February 9/10, 16/17 and 23, 2013; 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m./1:00 pm - 2:30 pm Where: Begins @ MoCA, Museum lobby at 215 Centre Street (between Grand and Howard Sts) Fee: $12-15/person ($8 for museum members); advance registration required. Space is limited. Lunar New Year is the liveliest and most important celebration in Chinese culture and Chinatown is the place to experience it. MoCA's walking tour takes guests through New York Chinatown to learn about holiday traditions and customs; discover the area's history; and sample a few New Year's treats. Tours are conducted in English and are led by MoCA docents with personal or family roots in the neighborhood. In case of inclement weather, tours will be held in the galleries. For information and reservations please call 212-619-4785.

Chinese New Year Celebration
Rutgers Community Programs, Upper West Side
Feb. 22
Join a Chinese New Year Celebration with music, dance, crafts, light refreshments, and more. RSVP required; email jmoore@rutgerschurch.org or call the number below. FREE!

Peking Acrobats
Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College, Flushing
Feb. 22
Since their Western debut in 1986, the Peking Acrobats have astounded audiences with their incredible talents rooted in centuries of Chinese history and folk art. They perform daring maneuvers atop a precarious pagoda of chairs; they are experts at trick-cycling, precision tumbling, somersaulting, and gymnastics. They defy gravity with amazing displays of contortion, flexibility, and control. They push the envelope of human possibility with astonishing juggling dexterity and incredible balancing feats, showcasing tremendous skill and ability. They are masters of agility and grace. Accompanied by live musicians skillfully playing traditional Chinese instruments and high-tech special effects, the Peking Acrobats create an exuberant entertainment event featuring all the excitement and festive pageantry of a Chinese Carnival.
The Peking Acrobats will also perform on Staten Island on Feb. 23.

Chinese New Year Celebration
Language Beans, Chinatown
Feb. 23 
Specifically designed for children ages 2-5, this celebration will include music, dance, hands-on projects, finger food, and more. RSVP required.

Lunar New Year Printmaking

Flushing Town Hall, Flushing
March 3 
Lunar New Year Prints are a venerable form of Chinese folk art closely connected with the thoughts, emotions and lives of ordinary people. This printmaking workshop allows visitors hands-on experience and the opportunity to learn to appreciate the beauty of prints and to understand the culture of Chinese New Year Prints. Space is limited; registration required.

Live from the POEMobile: A Lunar New Year Celebration
Flushing Town Hall, Flushing
March 3
Celebrate the Lunar New Year with Chinese poetry by Dr. Hsing-Lih Chou and the POEMobile (sponsored by Bowery Arts + Science and City Lore). Performances will be accompanied by projections of the poems in the original Chinese texts and English language translations.

Countdown to Chinese New Year-Day 10--the history

Lina<3, it is February 1, 2013 and your second Chinese New Year is coming up in 10 days. I am sure that you are wondering what the big deal is besides the hong bao (Mandarin for red envelope), and lai see (Cantonese for red envelope). It is one of the major holidays for Chinese people.

Mommy will be doing a 10 days countdown with you so you can learn more about Chinese New Year (the politically correct term is Lunar New Year, as not only Chinese people celebrate this holiday-Japanese, Korean, Mongolian, Tibetan, Vietnamese.)

So here's a Chinese New Year history lesson for you:

Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. The 15th day of the new year is called the Lantern Festival which is celebrated at night with lantern displays and children carrying lanterns in a parade.

The Chinese calendar is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. The lunar cycle is about 29.5 days. In order to "catch up" with the solar calendar the Chinese insert an extra month once every few years (seven years out of a 19 year cycle). This is the same as adding an extra day on leap year. This is why, according to the solar calendar, the Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year.
 

CHINESE NEW YEAR 15-DAY CELEBRATION

The first day of the Lunar New Year is "the welcoming of the gods of the heavens and earth". Many people abstain from meat on the first day of the new year because it is believed that this will ensure long and happy lives for them.

On the second day, the Chinese pray to their ancestors as well as to all the gods. They are extra kind to dogs and feed them well as it is believed that the second day is the birthday of all dogs.

The third and fourth days are for the sons-in-laws to pay respect to their parents-in-law.

The fifth day is called Po Woo. On that day people stay home to welcome the God of Wealth. No one visits families and friends on the 5th day because it will bring both parties bad luck.

On the sixth to the 10th day, the Chinese visit their relatives and friends freely. They also visit the temples to pray for good fortune and health.

The seventh day of the New Year is the day for farmers to display their produce. These farmers make a drink from 7 types of vegetables to celebrate the occasion. The 7th day is also considered the birthday of human beings. Noodles are eaten to promote longevity, and raw fish for success.

On the eighth day the Fijian people have another family reunion dinner, and at midnight they pray to Tina Gong, the God of Heaven.

The ninth day is to make offerings to the Jade Emperor.

The tenth through the twelfth are days that friends and relatives should be invited for dinner. After so much rich food, the thirteenth day should have a change in diet with a simple bland congee and mustard greens to cleanse the system.

The fourteenth day should be for preparations to celebrate the Lantern Festival which is to be held on the fifteenth night.

Lion Dance

The Chinese Lion Dance, as we know it today, has a continuous history of some one thousand years. The first record of the performance of an early and more primitive form of the Lion Dance dates back to the early Ch'in and Han Dynasties (3rd century B.C.)

The lion dance is very important to the Asian people. It gives meaning to life. In the consecration of temples, new buildings and other construction, events and businesses, planting and harvesting, celebration of official acknowledgment and public recognition festivals, religious rites - for all these and more, the Lion Dance plays an essential role

CHINESE NEW YEAR FAMILY REUNIONS

Chinese New Year is a Time of Family Reunions

New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving. The celebration was traditionally highlighted with a religious ceremony given in honor of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the household, and the family ancestors.

The sacrifice to the ancestors, the most vital of all the rituals, united the living members with those who had passed away. Departed relatives were remembered with great respect in the past as they still are today because they were responsible for laying the foundations for the fortune and glory of the family.

The presence of the ancestors is acknowledged on the eve of the New Year with a dinner setting arranged for them at the family banquet table. The spirits of the ancestors, together with the living, celebrate the onset of the New Year as one great community. The communal feast called "surrounding the stove" (weilu) symbolizes the unity of the family and honors the past and present generations of the lineage.