HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR, GONG XI FA CAI EVERYONE!

Chinese New Year 2011 falls on February 03. Year of 2011 is the Year of Rabbit (Golden) according to Chinese calendar. Chinese New Year symbolizes the new beginning and new hopes.

Chinese year or known as Imlek here in Indonesia, got its recognition inform of a national holiday in early 2002 to the pleasure of millions of Chinese Indonesians who now celebrate the festival with great enthusiasm. It is one of the most important festival in Indonesia.

The festival is celebrated with various traditions and customs.

Many of such traditions and customs are followed in Indonesia as a part of the New Year celebrations like waking up early on the New Year Day is a custom as sleeping late might make you lazy for the entire year ahead, visiting the nearby temples in the evenings and offer prayers and light candles, bursting fire crackers to scare and drive away evil spirits like Nian is also one of the customs followed on the Eve and the New Year day. On the New Year Eve and Day, people keep their doors and windows open to send the previous year and welcome the New Year day are just some of them.

Two of my aunties actually married with Chinese Indonesians and my late dad told me that he got a bit of Chinese from my late grand father too. Even tho, me and my family don't have the tradition or customs at home but there's something special on every Chinese year celebration; my former Bos and also my prev former Bos why I got so many bos heheh always give me Kue Keranjang or Nian Gao and ’Ang poa’.

Nian Gao made from sticky rice flour and sugar, it is very sticky and sweet. The word gao means high and nian is year, so it can be represented as increasing in the next year or success and ‘Ang poa’ are money gifts in red colored envelop to wish good fortune.^^

here's the image of Nian Gao -I found the image by googling 

and the traditional event complete the whole celebration like Dragon Dance- known locally as Barongsai and Lantern Festival which marks the end of this festival in Indonesia. The event takes place on the 15th day of the Chinese New Yea.

Me and everyone in Indonesia surely enjoy the ambiance of the Chinese New year celebration and the all the events that goes along with it sooooooooooooooooo

I wish you Happy Chinese New Year 2011 and Gong Xi Fa Cai.

May this year of Rabbit brings y’all a happy, prosperous, good, peace and joy.^^

XOXOXOX


*Image is courtesy of  Netbian.com  they provide Chinese wallpaper which are available in 1024 X 768 resolutions for free download.