Whether it’s in Cantonese ‘Kung Hei Fat Choy’, or Mandarin, ‘Gong Xi Fa Cai’, it means ‘Wishing you prosperity’ for the new year
It's not often I'm at the centre of the event. Reporters are usually on the edges of the fun, taking notes and photos, trying to remain unseen.
I was there by request of CHANO president, Yu Peng Lyu, and sat at a table with him and his wife, Bei Shen, whose warm smile is enough to make anyone feel at home. Directly beside me is seated their son, Chenan Lyu, a student at LoEllen. He was a big help to me, especially when I asked him to show me how to eat intact shrimp. That, and since he had been in charge of making rice for the event, I asked him for tips.
The preparation had begun much earlier than the 6 p.m. start. Not just food prep, done by all the local restaurants, including 7 Star Chinese Restaurant, Tai Express, Okinawa Sushi, Nexus Pizza, Kinhao Sushi, Happy Yummy Restaurant and Good Lucky 168, but decorations as well. The banners contained auspicious phrases in Mandarin and Cantonese wishing attendees “good health” , “safe journey” or “good fortune” .
Called ‘Chunyun’, the rush that comes with Chinese people travelling home to celebrate the event, is considered the largest annual human migration in the world In use for more than 2,000 years, the 12 Chinese zodiac animals not only are used to represent years in China, but also believed to influence people’s personalities, career, compatibility, marriage and fortune.
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