gong xi fa cai 🐂
Did you know in SF schools are closed today in honor of Chinese New Year. It's equivalent to Rosh Hashanah ( Jewish New Year) on the east coast. Yes, I just compared those two holidays. Therefore, there is no school.
Did you also know that five years ago Ever and I performed with mom friends and kids from our school in the Chinese New Year's Parade? We rehearsed on Sundays in this basement studio in Chinatown. The tiled floor was worn through, the mirror yellowed and the fluorescent lights in the ceiling buzzed, flickered, and dimmed throughout practice.
Marlene the teacher- parade master-choreographer never smiled. She looked at us with disdain as she taught us the steps. I was amazed that we were able to pull off the traditional Chinese dances.
My stage mom dreams came true on parade day as I helped kids and other parents with hair and makeup. (Do you have stage mom dreams ?)
Lined up on Market St. we waited until it was our turn to hit the parade route. I smiled bigger than usual as we headed to the grandstand because I knew we'd be featured on TV.
We weaved our way through the back alleys in between firecracker blasts at the end of the route to meet back up at the studio to share a big dinner.
Like so many traditions that aren't happening, there's no parade this year. And yet the holidays keep on keepin' on.
photo credit Kevin Chen. screenshot GIF creation credit- me!
Today ushers in the year of the Ox ( which happens to be my sign - most of us born in 1973 are oxen)
Here's what the interwebs say about it:
2021 is a year of the Ox, starting from February 12th, 2021 (Chinese lunar New Year Day) and lasting until January 31st, 2022. It will be a Metal Ox year.
The recent zodiac years of Ox sign are: 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033…
I asked my good friend Cindy Wang about Chinese New Year's traditions. Below are the four I'd like to culturally appropriate ( even though I know I can't do that )
You have to wake up to new clothes and new shoes to start off the new year fresh.
No deep cleaning on Chinese New Year's day because it will sweep your good luck away.
Eat noodles for longevity.
No arguing because it means you'll have a tumultuous year ( this one seems impossibly hard in the time of corona!)
Here's to the year of the Ox. Do you know your Chinese Zodiac sign? Email me debbie@debbimink.com and LMK.
All my Leopard Print and Lipstick 💋,
d
ps- I got some of the info above from this site and you can find your sign there too!
