Kung Hei Fat Choi
It's so hard to believe that nearly a year ago we were in Guangzhou bargaining for these precious outfits. Even then I was thinking ahead to Jack's first Chinese New Year here in the U.S. Living in a smaller community we don't have as many opportunities for Chinese cultural celebrations as other areas, but we found some fun things to do.
Jack calls to Hunter to be in the picture with him. Jack doesn't usually like to pose for pictures, but he does like to do whatever his big brother does.
The "Sweet Boy" pose quickly turns into the "True Boy" pose...
...which goes from a pose to a full stun show.
Our local library had a special display of Chinese martial arts along with a traditional performance of a Chinese Lion dance. The Lion dance is an old tradition dating back to the 3rd century BC from the Han dynasty. The lion expresses joy and happiness at times like the new year. Interestingly, the lion dance we saw is considered a Southern style because the dance is performed to drum beats and focuses more on the movement of the lion's head rather than the feet (as it would be in a Northern style). Also, a Northern lion will traditionally have a detailed mane and legs, while the Southern lion is more of a decorative drape. Having said, all that, since Jack was born in Southern China, it was perfect.
The boys watched intently. Jack stayed very close to Hunter during the Lion Dance, but when the martial arts demonstration took place he stood to applaud for each person. He was so excited.
The finale was a burst of firecrackers and the Lion revealing the banner declaring it the Year of the Rat.
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