February 16, 2018 - Chinese New Year

While we are vacationing in the USA, it's Chinese New Year! It's also known as Spring Festival and Lunar New Year. This is the Year of the Dog, which officially begins February 16, 2018 this year and ends March 2nd.  Most businesses are closed for a week beginning February 15.

This celebration has been happening since the 14th century B.C. except for a few years when Mao forbade it. Most people return to their hometowns, put up red posters, set off fireworks, eat special dumplings, and give family members red envelopes. Grandma's recipes are the best, we've heard, and some grandmas will hide a coin in a dumpling for one lucky person. Red is a symbol of prosperity, good luck, joy, and happiness. Since the number 8 is regarded as the luckiest number in Chinese culture, red envelopes often contain new bills in multiples of 8. Never coins. But the red envelope is more significant than the money inside.  And, in China, it is possible to send "electronic red envelopes" with money to family and friends.

Since it is the year of the dog, we thought we would share a few of the decorations we've seen along our travels.

Stores that feature red decorations, envelopes,
flowers and dogs. This is a typical store width. 

Lanterns decorate the market places

Coin decorations hang from trees. No current Chinese coins
look like this, but this replicates ancient coins. 

In the malls

Red lanterns about to be hung outside our hotel in Shenzhen

And dogs are everywhere!

At the entrance to a restaurant

Decorating the streets

Businesses decorate with dogs

Along a street in Hong Kong

Dog purses

Even dog mannequins to display human fashions!

Posters in the subway

And snow sculptures at the Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin, China

Happy New Year!  Have a wonderful and prosperous Year of the Dog! And as the Chinese say, may all your dreams come true this year.