The year of the black water dragon -- the 4709th Lunar New Year is here!

Today is the first day of the 4709th lunar new year, the year of the dragon. Or more precisely, the year of the male water dragon. Every astrological sign is assigned a metal, which has a corresponding color associated with it. For more on what this year may bring to you, click here to read up on Chinese astrology.

Chinese new year is a 15 day celebration, beginning with family and a dinner that is supposed to be meatless (although how different folks interpret meatless varies widely--sometimes it's all vegan and sometimes it just means no red meat). Southern man and I will be dining at a local Chinese restaurant and sticking to veggies and seafood (fish is good luck--although perhaps not for the fish).

Dragons are a very powerful symbol--they are the only animals in Chinese astrology that are mythical/non realist--and inherently they signify all things celestial. So here's hoping that this year brings strength and good fortune to all of us.

Rabbit, Rabbit! Happy New Year!!!

So yesterday marked the first day of the lunar new year, the year of the golden rabbit (as celebrated in Chinese culture) or the year of the cat (if you are Vietnamese).



Many Asian cultures celebrate the new year according to the lunar calendar, but the Chinese may be unique in having 15 days devoted to this holiday, which is a combination of Christmas, New Year's, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and the Fourth of July all wrapped up in one. Actually, that's not *quite* accurate either, but it's hard to emphasize the importance of this holiday in American terms. Suffice it to say, while I am Chinese American and grew up in California, this was still a much bigger holiday in my household than Christmas, at least in terms of its family significance.

[By the way, a great essay about the meaning of Chinese New Year and living in the Chinese diaspora was published in The Toronto Star (click here) -- thanks to my cousin "I" for the link!]

If you're wondering what the Year of the Rabbit holds for all of us, here's what we have to look forward to, courtesy of The Holiday Spot:

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.

So Happy New Year everyone! I, for one, certainly am glad to be done with the year of the Tiger--it WAS a fierce year for me and others--a little more placidity is something I'll treasure this year.

Also, for all you dog lovers out there, the second day of the Chinese New Year is noted for daughters to return "home" to visit their birthparents AND to celebrate dogs because today is celebrated as the birthdate of the first dog. So Happy Birthday to all dogs everywhere, especially my beloved "B"!

Gung Hay Fat Choy! Year of the Metal Tiger

Yesterday was both Valentine's day and the first day of the Lunar New Year (or as we celebrated it in my home, Chinese New Year) and it is the Year of the Tiger, or more specifically, the "Metal" Tiger (every year is also linked to one of five elements: earth, fire, water, metal, air).

You can read more here about what this Metal Tiger year has in store for us.



And when I was searching for an image to go with this blog post, I came across the one above--which I had seen before attached to a story (which turns out to be bogus/a hoax) about a grieving Tiger mother who had lost her cubs and was dying and so they gave her these piglets to raise.

Well, it turns out that the Tiger above, Saimai, just raises these piglets and interestingly enough, she was raised as a baby cub by a sow -- you can read more on this blog post and you can also see that the Si Racha zoo in Thailand likes to engage in cross-species care (click here).

I think that for a blog called Mixed Race America, celebrating the Year of the Tiger with images of tigers and pigs caring for one another seems to be the best way to start the new year. So Happy New Year!

Earth Ox and Clean Beginnings

Today is the first day of the lunar new year--the year of the Earth Ox.



What is an earth ox, you ask? Well, there are twelve animals and five elements according to the Chinese zodiac. It just so happens that the year 2009 is the year 4707 according to the Chinese calendar. And although I know that many other ethnic groups and countries celebrate the lunar new year, it's hard for me to break the habit of referring to this as Chinese New Year, since that's the way I grew up with the holiday.

And part of what you need to do, to ensure good luck in the upcoming year, is to follow certain traditions: paying off all debts (hard to do in our credit economy--after all, it's not like I can pay off my mortgage), decorating the home with spring flowers and emblems of prosperity like oranges and kumquats (because both these fruits are round and orange, symbolizing gold coins), and most importantly cleaning your home.

So last night, after I finished doing all the things necessary as an assistant professor teaching two classes and sitting on three different committees and mentoring a few graduate students and overseeing an undergraduate thesis and trying to make an article deadline (can you tell I've been a bit busy this month?) I attempted to clean my house, starting at 8pm last night. Which was basically a symbolic attempt because did I mention that plumbers came and re-did our entire piping in the house and that the guys repairing the drywall (they cut into about a dozen places in the house) left a layer of drywall dust that has coated every surface in the house, and as much as we've been trying to clean in the last week, the chaos of modern life means that things have been piling up, and lets just say, my housekeeping skills leave much to be desired right now.

But none-the-less, I cleaned. I swept; I dusted; I washed; I scrubbed; I cleared clutter; I re-organized. I tried my best. And I feel good at the attempt. Because I think it's important to start the year with a clean beginning.

Which makes me think about the upcoming year for the Obama administration. Because I think that it is fortuitous that the new lunar year coincides with the first week of the Obama administration. They are cleaning house--they are starting out their administration by airing out the White House, literally and symbolically. And I can think of no better way to have a clean beginning than to announce the closing of Guantanamo Bay detention center.

I should also add that President Barack Obama was born in the year of the metal ox. So Obama will be celebrating his 4th lunar birthday this year on August 4.

Chinese astrologists have already been predicting that this will be a tough year for us; the year of the earth ox has an emphasis on the earth, the land, which makes everyone think of real estate (and we all know how THAT'S going right now). Ox are marked by prosperity and fortitude; they are patient, tireless, hardworking, and powerful. These are certainly characteristics that seem to mark President Obama. And despite the predictions of the astrologists, I have HOPE that this year will be marked by good fortune. So on that note...

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Gung Hay Fat Choy--Happy New Year!


It's the lunar year 4706 (I got it wrong in the post I wrote a week ago), the year of the earth rat. We begin a brand new lunar cycle this year--for more on the lunar new year and traditions associated with it, click on this link:

And my last appreciation as we begin this new year is for my health. It is probably one of the biggest and yet the truest cliches: if you don't have your health, you don't have anything. I'm recuperating from a bout of stomach flu, and yesterday as the room was spinning around me, and I was in a fetal position on my bed, I realized how lucky I am. I know, a bizarre thing to think about when you are feeling like you've just done 10 rounds back to back in the tilt-o-whirl, but really, I knew that in about an hour, my partner was coming home to take care of me. And I had liquids and was staying hydrated, and I had access to clean water, and I didn't have to worry about taking time off from work the next day to rest. And if I didn't get better, I could afford to go to the doctor's the next day (by the way, for the record I am feeling much better). And this is what every single person on the planet should have access to--water, medicine, shelter, and the ability to stay healthy and to find help when you find yourself not healthy. So I appreciate my health, and when I'm not healthy, the things in my life that afford me the access to get healthy.

So here's to an auspicious new year--full of good health for us all--and for us all to try to work towards a place where everyone of us can live healthy lives.