It's almost Chinese New Year!It's a lunisolar calendar (has elements of both the lunar and solar calendar system in it), so the date changes every year...this past year has been the Year of the Golden Pig. February 7th and 8th, the first 2 days of Chinese New Year, mark the beginning of the Year of the Rat.
So will Isaac be a Pig or a Rat? (not much more time to vote on our poll!)We really don't care or hold any superstitions about any of this...but if you've ever been to a Chinese Restaurant and looked at the paper placemats, you probably know your Chinese Zodiac symbol (Anthony is a monkey and I am a rooster;). We were perfectly resigned to letting Isaac discover on his own one day while eating a fortune cookie in a restaurant in the states...but we don't live in the states and Chinese New Year is a big deal here. A BIG deal.
We've found it interesting when a Chinese person asks us when our baby is due, hearing that he's due mid-February brings up the question "Hmmm...wonder if he will be a rat or a pig?" Some women will even schedule c-sections in order for their babies to be born during a certain year. Crazy! We took this picture at one of the local malls here the other day. The pedestal platforms you see at the bottom are where a Chinese Dragon performance was about to begin. The red and pink decorations are typical decorating colors for Chinese New Year...and crowded malls are typical as well.So, "Gong Xi Fa Chai!" which means "Happy New Year!" in Chinese.
7 comments:
Listen, crazies, it's a mouse, not a rat. Poor child has no hope with parents calling him a rat. ;( You guys need to sleep as much as ya can cuz you are sure gonna miss it once he gets here! I hope he comes on your bday!
I have a little Golden Pig right here :) Go Golden Pigs!! I hope he's born on the 26th :) I know you don't want your pregnancy to last forever though, so GO GOLDEN PIGS!!
Oh I got so excited when I opened bloglines and saw you had a new post and it wasn't on a Friday! I can't wait for that post!
Anyway - that is some crazy mall decoration going on! I went to school with a ton of East Asians growing up, and I remember Chinese New Year's was a huge deal for them. For some reason, it was a big gambling time, and they were always talking about the money they were winning.
Come on Isaac! Be a piglet with Aashini and Hazel!
Fun stuff!! I hope he's a rat for because then hopefully his grandma will get to be there! The dragon dance thing looks really cool.
Wow! That mall picture looks SO MUCH like the malls in Manila.
I'm thinking Isaac is going to be a Rat because I'm thinking he's coming on Saturday, February 16th! Funny thought, my uncle always called me "rat" because he said I looked like a wet rat when I was born. Sad and mean but the nickname stuck. He was wrong though... Feb.16th,1978 was the Year of the Horse... not the Rat.
Totally off subject, but I'm curious - have you been having any of those, "Oh wait! Was that a contraction?" moments? When it got close, I was so annoyed by everyone's vague descriptions of labor. "Oh you'll know when it's the real thing." haha
Down to the single digits before the due date!!!! Super exciting!!!! Can't wait until this blog is filled with pix of little baby Isaac!!! (Not that you don't look great on this blog too Sharon :) )
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