CNY preparations have begun in my house from spring cleaning to the minature mandarin tree which looks cute but also serve a double meaning at this time of year. Oranges symbolise prosperity and this week I expect a massive crate to appear in my house and we will be gifting many family members and friends with bags of oranges (such is tradition!). Food is a massive part of CNY and a lot of these foods eaten are homonyms (words that sound the same but have different meanings) and are therefore symbolic. For example below we have my grandma’s homemade ‘Lin gow’ (Nian Gao in Mandarin) which means sticky cake but it can also mean ‘higher year’ which all sounds very prosperous so it’s always part of CNY traditions.
We’re yet to put up decorations but they will be up quite soon in all their red and gold glory. We’ve also got a great big family reunion on Sunday which is CNY Eve, it’s pretty much like Christmas and I love the atmosphere not to mention the food. Stay tuned for my next post as I’ll try and document this!
Speaking of CNY, Let me introduce you guys to A Boy Named Sue who are running a little competition over on their Facebook Page. The eco-friendly store is the brainchild of HK bloggers, Sam from Sam Is Home and Tania from T Like Bubble Tea. The motto behind their store is ‘Cool clothes with a conscience’ and naturally, all the designers stocked, pride themselves on being sustainably sourced. I’ve only met half of the dynamic duo (Sam was my dessert buddy when I worked in HK last year) but I am massively proud of what they have achieved so far with this project! The video below is super lovely and gives you an idea of what they’re all about!
A Boy Named Sue from A Boy Named Sue on Vimeo.
This is where you guys come in – over on their Facebook page they are holding a great giveaway in time for Chinese New Year. To be in with a chance to win a gorgeous 100% cotton scarf by the Muzungu Sisters, just head over to the A Boy Named Sue Facebook Page and tell them why you like Chinese new year! Maybe it’s food, family time or exploring your local China town with the festivities. Either way I’m entering…I’ll see you guys over there!
