5 Ways To Celebrate Chinese New Year (Even if you’re not Chinese!)

Chinese New Year may not be celebrated as grandly in the Philippines as it is in nearby Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore, but this doesn’t mean that we should completely overlook this time of festivities.

Chinese New Year always brings fond memories for me - of my childhood in Brunei, and my one year as a single lay missionary for my Catholic community in Malaysia. Those were the good old days, when life was less complicated, and yes, I dare say, more comfortable. But I wouldn’t trade those days for what I have now – a life as a wife to a loving, supportive husband, and a mom to two adorable angels. We’ve been back in the Philippines (from Timor Leste or East Timor) long-term since June of last year, and although there have been a lot of adjustments on our part, we know that there is really no place like home.

So with Chinese New Year just around the corner (this year it’s on February 3), I am excited to create some fun memories with my family by celebrating it, even if we have absolutely no Chinese blood in our lineage (or at least I think we don’t!).

Here are five things you and your family can do to celebrate Chinese New Year (If you are Filipino-Chinese or Chinese, I’m sure you already have your own ways to celebrate the New Year, but you are of course most welcome to read on).

To all Smart Parenting readers: Gong Xi Fa Cai! Kiong Hee Huat Tsai! Kung Hei Fat Choi! Congratulations and Be Prosperous!

Happy Chinese New Year!


Sources:
•    “Chinese New Year” en.wikipedia.org
•    “Dragon Dance” en.wikipedia.org
•    “Chinese New Year in the Philippines” Tagaloglang.com
•    Dave Ryan A. Buaron. March 5, 2010. “Binondo: Manila’s Chinatown” tourism-philippines.com
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