Happy New Year!

Gong xi fa cai! Xin nian kuai le!
Photographed in the Neihu District
Taipei, Taiwan
February 6, 2008
on black at my site

Traditionally, families write New Year’s wishes in black calligraphy on red strips of paper and put them up by their front doors. One strip goes along the left side of the door, one on the right, and one along the top of the door. My grandparents moved out of their own home almost ten years ago and now live in an apartment, so they no longer follow this tradition. The area they live in is very commercial, so I haven’t seen many traditional signs outside doors. All I’ve seen are these types of gold printed signs that various companies have put up on business and apartment entrances. Not quite the same, but it will have to do for now.

I enjoyed a nice dinner with extended family (11 of us total), played several hours worth of mah-jong, and then participated in the traditional midnight tribute to our ancestors. It’s been almost 20 years since the last time did this and it was every bit as awkward this time as the first time.

** My apologies for any dull-looking photos - I seem to be having some color space issues with my laptop.