Another Lunar New Year

And so we look ahead to an auspicious year. The snake! What could be more auspicious?

As always, I have not quite followed all of the regulations and instructions given out by the ancient Chinese spirits, so maybe auspicious is not in my cards.

Perhaps this is why the world is on fire, because we’re not following the strategies laid out by our Chinese ancestors. We’re taking out the garbage and washing our hair on the wrong days, folks. Maybe some firecrackers would help.

The Chinese New Year holiday sometimes feels busier than Christmas (this could not objectively be true, could it?)—maybe because at Christmas everyone is busy and business/life is operating on its own time spectrum and teachers are cancelling lessons and the last stretch before the 25th everyone is taking it easy.

But around the Chinese New Year, here in Canada, everything is business as usual, and the lunar new year celebrations are an add-on. Shipments are still coming in, homework and tests are being assigned, new material and recitals are being prepared for. And also: Chinese new year dinners and dumpling making and groceries and Chinese New Year recitals and finding the clothing and finding the clothing doesn’t fit anymore and then finding new clothing. Caleb tried to scam his non-Chinese cello teacher into giving him some red pockets and I’m pretty sure he’s going to get extra scales to practise next week. The Vivaldi’s not looking so hot now, buddy.

At Junia’s Chinese new year recital she lost this random piece of candy that she got in a red pocket and the whole family had to march around the hallways looking for it. I don’t know if Junia genuinely thought we would/could find it, or if she just enjoys being a tyrant, but we didn’t find it. Naomi, our middle child, is exactly what this family needs: enthusiastic about hanging up the lanterns, finding her cheongsam and getting it ready, speaking in Chinese to all of our elders and teachers, practising her recital song on her own. Every time I read sibling position stereotypes, I wonder how they investigated our family so closely without my knowledge.

But the year of the snake is nothing if not full of patience and wisdom, and we hope for the best. It’s going to be a good one, each year bringing with it its own gifts, even if sometimes we have to look harder for them. They are there! Always. Hiding, colourful, growing, surprising, tiny, beautiful, messy. Even when we don’t want them, they insist upon it, and we accept them humbly, eyes wide open.

The team came over for a lunar new year dinner and Mai even brought a red pocket for Tuna. He looks unimpressed because money means nothing to him, as evidenced by his continued illnesses and vet bills. (It was actually a cat treat in there but how could a poor silly goose figure that out?)