Chinese New Year Celebration Begins!

Although the official date of this year's Chinese New Year is January 23rd, we have already begun the celebration! This weekend, Kayli and I attended a wonderful party hosted by a group called Families Blessed with the World's Children. Kayli has been practicing in a tiny choir of young Chinese adopted children, ages 3-6, to perform 3 songs, sung in Mandarin, for this event. We were very proud of our little performers, as they sang their hearts out, while standing on a stage in front of this large audience of over 200 people! Here are some pics of the kids in between songs, followed by a little clip of them singing one of the songs...

the party was so much fun, with a fabulous chinese meal...

crafts for the kids to make...

Kayli made this craft with the symbol for "fortune"...

here, she is holding the bead-drum

since this is the year of the dragon, the decorations focused on this theme, including these wonderfully colorful and delicious cakes...

just let me lick that frosting, ha,ha...

there was a "chinese princess" to get your picture taken with... (Kayli was speechless)

there was a chinese-themed face painting station, which is tricky when you're so ticklish...

just look at that pretty bamboo print on Kayli's face...

there was a really fun dragon dance at the end of the party, followed by "simulated firecrackers" when everyone began popping their assigned bubble wrap, all at the same time...it was amazing how much it sounded like "firecrackers" when over 200 people were doing this all at the same time!!!

  All the kids were given a traditional red envelope, filled with "money" (gold-chocolate coins) In China, it is traditional to give the children red envelopes containing money, on the Chinese New Year.

Did you know that...
*If you cry on the Chinese New Year, you will cry ALL year?!!! So, Chinese parents do not discipline their children on the New Year. The children are indulged, instead!
*No sweeping or cleaning ON the New Year, or 3 days after! You will sweep out all your good luck!
*The color red is not only "good luck", it also scares away any evil dragons/spirits, aka "bad karma"! So, tie a red bow on your front door, or better yet, paint the door red!
*To get a fresh start, you should always get a hair cut and buy a new outfit (now I can support that wholeheartedly!) Make sure to wear something red, add a pretty necklace and/or earrings!
*Get a bunch of oranges (symbolizing gold/money/wealth) and put these in a bowl on your table.
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Xin Nian Kuai Le!
!