Xin Nian Kuai Le

Yesterday, Matt & I spent our day trying to adhere to some local Chinese customs in order to bring good luck to 2013. Here’s an outline of some of what we did:

Cleaned our apartment: Cleaning out your home, “sweeps away the bad luck” that has accumulated over the past year, and makes the home ready for good luck to enter again. A fresh start! (Over the following 15 days, we’re relieved of cleaning duties because we don’t want to wipe away the good luck!)

Decorated our home: Red decorations in little places around our home welcoming in the good luck for the year. Also, placed mandarins throughout the house. In Chinese the word for “gold” and “orange” sound alike, and tangerine “echoes luck.” If they have leaves, even better, because the leaves symbolize longevity.

Wear red underwear: to ward off bad luck. (I actually knew about this one from the Kaw family!) Check!

Exchanged "Hong Bao":  literally translates to “red envelopes”. Typically, these are given from adults to children, but instead Matt & I just gave to each other. We asked for the envelopes from each other by saying “Xin Nian Kuai Le. Hong Bao Na Lai” à Happy New Year! Give me a red envelope!  Envelopes are filled with cash, in the numbers ending in “8”, again for good luck.

Cooked a dinner filled with Chinese tradition foods: Here is the recipe I was working with (http://www.steamykitchen.com/4997-broccoli-beef-noodle-stir-fry.html ), but as mentioned in the previous post, I didn’t find all the ingredients so we ended up with a slightly different take ala Chez Jacqueline. (No oyster sauce, No chicken broth, No sake, No Chinese broccoli)

 - Long noodles: Keep them as long as possible for long life.

 - Long beans: Wish a long life for parents. (eventhough we couldn’t be together we were thinking about everyone!)

 - Cauliflower: Looks like a blossoming flower to represent blossoming prosperous new year.

 - Cookies: Sweets brings sweet life for the new year.

Wishing everyone a new year filled with good fortune!

Pics of our freshly cleaned apartment. 

Master Bedroom: with best down comforter courtesy of Grandmother & Art! Keeps us warm when our heater is iffy.

Guest Room: We are open & ready for visitors!!!! Who's going to be the first?

Guest bath / Matt's bath: Key to a successful marriage is separate bathrooms. :)

 Master Bath.

Little kitchen. Matt did a great job cleaning today! Cooking here is challenging without all the right supplies... 

Red lantern decorations

Our Hong Bao envelopes and good luck tangerines / mandarins

88 RMB! I'm super lucky.

Chinese New Year dinner... I have no platters, so while my intention was good to provide a nice presentation, I quickly realized that the beef & cauliflower was sliding off my noodles. Two plates it is!

Slightly better presentation.

Matt slurping his long noodles. No biting/cutting as we don't want to cut off our longevity!

 Red underwear! :)