Noah loved waking up to find the red envelopes I filled with chocolate coins, chopsticks and Mandarin oranges. We decorated the downstairs with lanterns (great $1 find at Target). He asked me what the chopsticks were and laughed as we tried to eat the oranges with them. :)
We continued our celebration tonight with a special meal, moon cakes, fireworks and a book that explains the cultural holiday. I'm having trouble finding a local event to attend this weekend though there is a large number of Chinese that live in Tallahassee. Here are a few fun facts about this 15 day long holiday:
-Also called Spring Festival
-2015 is the year of the Goat, Ram or Sheep depending on who you ask
-Fireworks are set off on New Year's Eve to send out the old year
-Red envelopes containing money are given to children for good luck
-Tangerines and oranges are displayed to promote wealth
-Red symbolizes fire which some believe keeps away evil spirits
-Dragons are featured in the celebrations and are also believed to chase away evil spirits
-It is traditional to repair broken friendships and relationships during the New Year
