"Kung Hey Fat Choy!" That's one of the many ways to say & spell the Chinese New Year greeting. It translates roughly to "wishing you much prosperity." 2008 marks the Year of the Rat, and Mickey Mouse is featured prominately in stores' holiday tchotchke aisles. 
More traditional (and adorable) mice images with good luck blossoms can be seen, 10 feet tall, adorning the sides of buildings across the city. The style is similar to wood block prints, which were invented in China over 1,000 years ago.
The word for mandarin oranges in Cantonese also means gold, so the mandarin orange tree, decorated with red packets containing coins, is essentially a money tree.
Oranges and other foods showing "the color of gold" are popular this time of year. My personal favorite, even before I learned its name, is the Nipple Fruit, a fabulous pear-shaped yellow fruit with five stubby legs near its base. The legs represent members of 5 generations under one roof, and since Chinese New Year is a family holiday, it represents longevity and peace among the relatives. The fact that nipple fruit is poisonous doesn't taint the message - people display the fruit just to keep up appearances!
1 comment:
The pictures and comments are the next best thing to being there. Wish I could enjoy it with you in person. Mickey might not like being referred to as a rat, but fame does have some downsides! Happy New Year,
xoxoxo WOW
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