KUNG HEI FAT CHOI

YEAR OF THE FIRE DOG

I was not planning to Blog tonight, but remembered that the Chinese New Year started today and I would like to share this with Kai-Kai. He will find out later in life that there is Chinese blood in his genetic make up...this comes from his great- grandmother on my side. It may be not much, but I think the genetic make up is important to one's being. I will deal with that later on.

The Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It consists of a period of celebrations starting on New Year's Day on the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar; which falls today, January 29 in the Western calendar. The Chinese New Year period ends with the lantern Festival on the fifteenth day.

Celebrated internationally in areas with large populations of ethnic Chinese, Chinese New Year is a major holiday for the Chinese diaspora, a significant segment of which has immersed and integrated itself well within the Philippine society. This year is the Year of the Fire Dog.

Based on tradition, the Year of the Dog is the year for reflection and to assess ones values. In the face of disturbances, the fire dog is known to be always on the lookout, protecting the surroundings. Following this characteristic of the dog, the year is expected to see benevolent and idealistic deeds and various unusual changes coming into being. The Fire Dog speaks of a character that is dramatic, ferocious, alluring, motivated by strength of mind and self-confident.

Chinese New Year celebrations involve being with one's family from the reunion dinner on New Year's Eve to the celebration of New Year's Day, when red envelopes know as ang paw are given to unmarried members of the family. My grandmother had a cousin, born in Shanghai, China. Her family migrated in the Philippines, grew up, got married and died of old age. My grandmother and her were the same age, but she comes from the old world of that era. She walks like a waddling duck because her feet had been bounded with strips of cloth from the day she was born...you have to see some pictures of the old Imperial Chinese Era. The ladies of that time have "ginger" like feet. I liked her and considered her as one of my favorite relatives. Talking about accents, she speak Filipino with a Chinese accent. She always have good foods to serve you. I still remember that she called me "Paquito" instead of "Pepito" (a diminutive for Pepe, my dad's nickname, from Jose'). On the Chinese New Year then, I always came to visit her as a boy. To think about it now, the reason was there will be good food, especially the tikoy, steamed glutinous rice cakes and moon cakes...and most important was the red envelope with a few coins inside. I am glad that I can write this now and very grateful for the technologies of these days that I can reminisce my past to be recorded easily today.

I am sure that there will be celebrations here in San Diego. The Chinese, Vietnamese and other ethnic Asians will honor the occasion. May this day be a renewed beginning for us a we continue to hope and pray for a better future and more lasting peace on earth.

KUNG HEI FAT CHOI! A blessed New Year to Kai-Kai!