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The Lunar New Year festivities began promptly New Years Eve on Friday February 9th. Hong Kong University(HKU) closed early due to the holiday, so I only had my morning class. After class, a couple friends and I headed over to a place near HKU to grab lunch and get some gifts for Andy’s family for when she visited them over the holiday. Later on, we went to a New Years Fair at Victoria Park where they had an extensive flower market and a variety of food stalls. As we continued to shop around for more gifts for Andy’s family, we tried some fun snacks like chocolate mochis, popcorn chicken, and homemade kimchi.
As the day started to wind down, we headed back to the dorm where we waited anxiously for the New Year while watching the New Year Annual Gala of Mainland China. The Gala featured many skits, dance and singing performances, light shows and at the end were the fireworks. Two of my suitemates that weren’t able to make it back to Mainland China in time for the New Year prepared boiled dumplings for us to enjoy once the clock struck twelve. They explained how eating dumplings at 12:00 AM would bring in good luck for the rest of the year.
On the first day of Chinese New Year(CNY), a couple friends and I made it a goal for ourselves to go see the New Years parade. One of the big celebrations held in Hong Kong for CNY is the Cathay Pacific Lunar New Year Parade. Special guests from all over the world came to showcase their culture and talent and we hoped to get a nice view. The special performances from local clubs and organizations were set to start at 6:00 PM, so we got there at 5:00 PM to grab a snack before looking for an open spot among the people lined up against the barricades. Having a perfect view of the parade we were able to witness all the floats and performances; my personal favorite was the Disney float that had the famous Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
Like most traditions every family has their own way of celebrating CNY. I was privileged to be invited to join Andy and her grandparents for brunch on the 2nd day of the new year. The day had come for me to use all I had been studying for the past two days on how to ‘behave’, everything from the family members, eating etiquette, the no-shoes rule, gift giving and receiving etiquette. I thought I was as prepared as I could be but as we entered the house, the chain of “HELLO HELLOOO ” instantly filled the home, and in that moment, I forgot it all. Speaking no Cantonese, we struggled to give her grandparents the gifts we had prepared, nonetheless the day was successful. We then sat down to eat the first homemade meal we have had in a while. The table had a variety of foods ranging from dried clams, abalone, scallops with broccoli, wontons in soup, marinated chicken wings, and so much more. During the meal the uncles and aunts went around handing out the red packets, where we had to receive them with two hands and say, “gong hei fat choi” which means ‘Happy Lunar New Year’ in Cantonese. The rest of the evening was spent getting to know the family, carrying babies around, and talking about Andy’s family history.
It was such a great experience to be invited to and attend a Chinese New Year’s Day brunch; it is an experience I will forever be grateful for. Special thanks to Andy for inviting me and making me feel welcome in her home away from home.
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