I apologize for the lack of new blog posts lately, but I can squarely place most of the blame on the Chinese New Year holiday! In our business, everybody wants their product to ship before the new year, so not only do we work frantically with our clients to make that happen, but the factories are also swamped and much more difficult to work with during this time. Anyhow, it came and went…products were shipped, clients are happy…now it’s time to celebrate! I’ve been in China for a few Chinese New Year’s, but always as an observer from the outside. This year our operations manager, Susan Xiu, invited me to their house for the big family New Year’s Eve dinner.
CNY Mall Rabbit Display
A little background, the Chinese New year is based on the first day of the lunar calendar. The holiday is much like Christmas and New Year’s combined in the US, though replacing the religious aspects with acts and objects to promote good luck in the new year. For office workers, the holiday is usually about a week, whereas for factory workers it can be 2-4 weeks (typically longer the more rural you get as it takes them longer to get home and come back). From talking to various people in the industry, about 30% of the workers don’t actually come back because they don’t feel like it, it’s too far, or they just want to get a job somewhere else. It’s a crazy time of year!
The big night is New Year’s Eve, which kicks off the celebration. This is spent with the immediate family, so it is actually the smallest of the gatherings, but certainly doesn’t lack tradition or entertainment. Most families will watch famous actors and actresses perform a kind of variety show with singing, dancing, theatre, and comedy. Imagine, about 5-7 times the number of people who watch the Super Bowl watching the same thing at the same time all around the country!
Dad, husband, and Susan halfway into meal
I got to Susan’s house about 6pm and was warmly greeted by her mom, dad, husband and new baby Earnie. Of course, there were already appetizers and about 8 dishes of the main course waiting on the table. The father and husband had done all the cooking (this is fairly common in China) while the mother and Susan had spent the day taking Earnie out to the park. We spent some time chatting while the father finished up two more courses (10 being a lucky number of courses for the meal) then sat down to dinner. Susan’s father, husband and I sipped some Chinese bai jiu. It’s a 104 proof rice wine. This one was pretty good…others can only be described as tasting like jet lighter fuel.
Jiaozi
We chatted for another couple hours after dinner, then started preparing the jiaozi. Jiaozi is one of my favorite Chinese dishes (as well as most foreigners). It is a simple pork and
Mom and I on Jiaozi Duty
vegetable dumpling that can be steamed or fried. This one was a little special though. We boiled coins then added them into the dumplings! It is supposed to be lucky if you happen to bite into one (and not break your teeth!). I apparently will have a very lucky year as I bit into four of them straightaway. After jiaozi, some more chatting, watching the program…then, the big kick-off. Throughout the night fireworks had been going off occasionally outside (even though they are banned in Shenzhen), but at midnight the sky started exploding! We immediately began giving each other gifts. I had some toys for their baby as well as a hong bao (red packet) with money inside that is the traditional gift to kids and those unmarried from the elder generation. They gave me a handmade rabbit doll (for the year of the rabbit, also for luck) and a bag only received by the Chinese military.
Earnie after New Year's Feast
It was all very touching and I must admit I felt very Chinese at that moment. There are times when you learn enough to act Chinese/speak Chinese and the Chinese people you are with actually treat you like a Chinese person (which at a family level is with a deep sincerity that is not duplicated the same way in the West). It is rare, even with sufficient knowledge, but it is really a remarkable thing, to me at least, and you really know when it is happening. Shortly after the gift exchange, I headed home (you are supposed to go to bed early to start the New Year off right) to the continued resounding of illegal fireworks and thought, “what a year this rabbit will be for China.” I was feeling pretty good though as this is my year (I’m a rabbit) and I already had my red underwear (for good luck and protection) waiting safely in its drawer at home.
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