Kaboom! Happy Chinese New Year!

Happy Chinese New Year!

Today is the first day of the Chinese New Year. We are welcoming the Year of the Dragon and saying good bye to the Year of the Rabbit.  I am not clear on all the customs regarding this holiday – I can say they do seem to know how to celebrate the new year here!  This holiday isn't just a one-day event; it seems to last for several days.

One of the best parts so far has been watching and listening to the fireworks and firecrackers exploding around this massive city.  We've seen fireworks stands on nearly every street corner.  And FAR nicer than those rinky dinky puny fireworks you can buy in the States.  These are the real thing.  What's the deal with the fireworks and firecrackers?  Well, from what I've read they are supposed to scare off evil or bad spirits.  Or something like that.  So, I can certainly understand wanting to light as many of them as possible.

The school also held a Chinese New Year celebration on Friday (the kids get next week off for the holiday).  There was a Chinese Temple Fair held for all the students in which they could do all sorts of fun activities and earn prizes.  I tagged along with Ava's class.  Afterwards, before school let out, the school lit off a string of firecrackers.  Oh my!  They were LOUD and smoke filled the air but everyone had lots of fun!  What a great introduction to a new culture.  Everyone likes loud bangy things, right?  (okay, I admit I'm a little nervous when it comes to loud bangy thingies but I'll go with the flow here).

Photo taken while driving in the car (sorry it's so blurry) but we saw fireworks stands on nearly every street corner!

Chinese Temple Fair activities with Ava's class….

Here the kids are copying Chinese characters using ink and brushes.  The little boy sitting to the left of Ava was very good at this activity.

Close up of what Ava's characters look like.  I'm not sure what the characters mean but I assume they have to do with the Chinese New Year. 

Here is a fun & silly game!  It's kind of like Pin the Tail on the Donkey but in this version you are blind-folded with a giant mask and then you have to draw a face inside the blank face.

And since it will be the Year of the Dragon the kids made these "hats".

Attempting to dance using lovely red silk scarves.  The kids had to try and follow the footsteps of an instructor.  Some got it and others didn't.  ;-)

Bang! Bang! Bang!  They lit a huge string of firecrackers (the red line) at the school.  It was both loud and very smokey!

The ashen aftermath

I honestly have no clue what this says but we've seen a lot of banners like these all over the place.  These were on the windows of a shop in the Italian District.  I'm guessing they have something to do with the new year.

Mark talking to our driver about what kind of fireworks the big boxes contain (they're shells).

You see the big giant red wheel in the foreground?  Those are a huge string of firecrackers neatly coiled up.  Wow!

They even have a Thomas the Train firework!  And helicopter fireworks!

Happy Girlies….some shells, a fountain and some sparklers to play with.  And our very kind driver gave us a cigarette lighter so that we can actually light our goodies tonight!

This is our neighbor's house.  I just wanted to show you the New Year's decorations and lanterns they have.  Not sure what the color red symbolizes but everything I have seen so far that has to do with CNY has been red.  

I also have some videos of the firecrackers going off at the school and the general booming noises going off around the city but I can't figure out how to post videos!  Help?