Chinese New Year 2014!

 

     Last year we missed throwing our first Chinese New Year party as Isaac had just gotten out of the hospital. So THIS YEAR, our goal was to do it right! Problem was...I didn't really know what that meant because I needed to re-write most of traditions celebrated during Chinese New Year. Doing our best to avoid child-eating dragons and luck, & forture, this is what we came up with this year:

Isaac getting excited for Chinese New Year!

 

 

ALL the cousins came over, including the Minnesota crew via skype

Playing the traditional Flower-Drum game
(Cousins Jaelyn & Xander on the computer)

We chanted Gong Xi Fa Cai (Happy New Year) and passed the flower.
Whoever was holding the flower when the drum stopped had to say one thing about China.
This was a fun way to learn new things. 
Cousin Vaughn was quick to say that TOYS were made in China...um, yes, that is correct, buddy. Good job!
 



We tried LOTS of new food.
And everyone got to use their chopsticks.
(Except me...see previous posts about self inflicted chop stick injuries)

Munching on a steamed pork bun.
Ironically, the only child in the room NOT to use chopsticks.

 

 

Zane waiting for his take-out order

     Conveniently, lunch was done just as it was turning midnight in China...yesterday...kind of...shhhh...don't tell...the short people can't tell time. We rushed outside with our noise makers to yell Gong Xi Fa Cai as loud as we could to welcome in the new year. Because mandarin oranges are (now) a Chinese symbol of friendship, the first order of business in the new year was to grab an orange and go give it to a friend. Isaac got three. :)

Our new years union supervisor

 

      Next, we practiced building the Great Wall of China!  It was more of a vertical approach, but with Uncle Kris's help, it almost got touched the ceiling!!

 

     We got creative and talked about how much Jesus loves our friends in China and what fun it is to try new things. There was 'firework' cake (because it was the wrong time of the day to set off our own), and mochi ice cream. The kids got red envelopes with chocolate coins. They colored paper fans with (friendly) dragons on them. Isaac got to wear one of his Chinese shirts. I love that this is normal for Isaac and his cousins; that they'll grow up together not realizing that for many, many generations before them what they did today--learning about & loving something different--was hard and sometimes impossible. I hope today made the Lord's heart happy. That when every nation & every tribe are worshiping at the throne of God, Isaac and his cousins will be the first to break bread/steamed pork buns with their Asian FOREVER family.

Gong Xi Fa Cai
2014