Chinese New Year 2018
Smoke filling the air with red lanterns dangling from wires that are strung from building to building. The sound of fire crackers popping and crackling is heard throughout the streets of China Town. To some, this might just be a show of lights and colors but to others this means one thing, The New Year is coming. 
Some background history:
Chinese New Year is just around the corner, landing on Feb. the 16. There is no set day like Christmas or Valentine’s because Chinese people go by their own calendar. These do not correlate with Western calendars because the Chinese New Yearwould landon the 23 day of the 12 Lunar year. 2018 marks the year of the dog, the eleventh animal in the Chinese Zodiac. The animals are placed in this cycle because an old Chinese tale.
Thousands of years before CBS’ Amazing Race there was an even greater one. The Great Race is a tale about a group of animals chosen by The Jade Emperor to race each other to be given one of the twelve places in the Chinese calendar. This story has been passed down from generation to generation and is told to children on Chinese New Year.
Preparation:
Before they can sit and listen to the story of The Great Race, the kids of the house had some chores to do. According to Janet Cabrera, a born citizen of Hong Kong and the author’s mother, “Prior to the New Year (Sun Leen) my siblings and I would clean the house to give our family a clean slate. I would sweep out the old and bad spirits to let in the new ones.”To some people these traditions seem odd, but to the Chinese people that celebrate this holiday, these are rules that could affect your whole year. A make or break for the families luck, wealth and prosperity.
Traditions and The Day Of:
The New Year brings many wishes to a family. The main three wishes are to be blessed with a lucky year, to bring their family wealth, and for everyone to have prosperity. When visiting relatives, families will give each other something always in a pair. A pair of red apples is given to bring luck to the family. Oranges symbolize vibrant colors which brighten up the home owner’s life and house. Two Lai See (red envelopes) are exchanged with two single dollars enclosed, one from the father and one from the mother. These are only given to people that aren’t married and are younger than the person handing them out, to help spread wealth in the family.
After the Lai See is dispersed amongst the family, a food offering is brought out to pay respects to the ancestors. The food offering consists of different items that all serve a purpose. If a chicken or fish is offered, both the head and tail need to be presented to symbolize a beginning and end. Lotus roots are cooked for luck while their seeds symbolize fertility. Gum Boi (dry the cup) is said while offering a glass of wine which is poured for the ancestors to drink as they protect and watch over the family. Finally, the fake money is burned so they will be able to buy something new for the New Years in the afterlife.
Next, the family eats and shares stories. There is always a great amount of food which creates a lot of dishes needed to be washed. New Years is unlike most nights. “We were told not to wash them at all. Doing so would wash away all the good luck you received on the New Year,” Cabrera said. Like this small superstition, there are many others that take place during this celebration.
Chinese Superstitions:
Chinese New Year is filled with many superstitions; some are good and will bring great things to the family. Some arebad and can ruin a person’s entire year with just one mishap. At the stroke of midnight many Chinese people will go outside of their homes and set off rows of firecrackers in front of their door. This is done to prevent any bad spirits from entering the house, much like the jack-o-lanterns used during Halloween. For the first day of the New Year, everyone has to wear new clothes to show their wealth and to keep their new luck. If a family were to go to a friend’s home without bringing them something to celebrate, this is seen as very disrespectful and bad luck on the individual.
With the New Year coming fast, remember to clean your slate of all debt, grudges, and sins. Welcome this New Year clean so the new luck will stay, bless you with lots of wealth, and keep your families with prosperity.
If you are looking for some places to celebrate the New Year, here are a few in your area:
46th Annual Chinese New Year Party (Modesto)
Stanislaus Chinese Association
Date :      February 18, 2018 –
Time :    5:00pm – 9:00pm
Location : Centre Plaza
Address : 1000 L Street Modesto, CA 95354
Description : Celebrating the year of the Dog!
The 46th Annual Chinese New Year Party will feature culture, Chinese food, a raffle & entertainment.
Tickets: $20 for adults & $12 for children (6-12yrs.)
Contact : Stanislaus Chinese Association
Phone : (209) 651-0388 Provided by http://www.visitmodesto.com/calendar/default.asp
Chinese New Year Parade(SF Chinatown)
One of the grandest nighttime illuminated parades in the U.S., the parade started in the 1860s and has grown to be one of the largest celebrations of Asian culture outside of Asia. Parade highlights include elaborate floats, lion dancers, folk dancers, and costumed elementary school groups, marching bands, stilt walkers, Chinese acrobats and a 268-foot-long Golden Dragon. 
This year’s parade will be held on Feb. 24 and will start on Second and Market Streets. If this is your first parade, bleacher seats might be a good suggestion. Arriving between 3:30 to 4 p.m. is recommended. Ear plugs are suggested for all ages; firecrackers are an integral part of the parade. Parking south of Market is usually easier; garages in the Union Square area will be impacted by crowds and street closures. Muni and BART are excellent options to get to and from the parade. And bring an umbrella. Even in drought years it will often rain on the parade, and it is considered good luck, so everyone takes it in stride. Provided By Cindy Hu with San Francisco Traveler. http://www.sftravel.com/article/chinese-new-year-2018-parade-events
Chinese New Year Celebration (Sacramento)
Featuring: Dragon dance and martial arts, cultural entertainment, community exhibits, arts and crafts, food vendors, children’s games.
Date and Time: Sat, February 10, 2018 from 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM PST
Location: Hiram W. Johnson High School
Address: 6879 14th Avenue Sacramento, CA 95820
by Chinese New Year Culture Association provided by https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chinese-new-year-celebration-tickets-42141910589?aff=es2 

To read more, from our February 2018 print edition click HERE