Xin Nian Hao! (The pin-yin version of "Happy New Year", pronounced "shin nian how"). Call it Spring Festival, Lunar New Year, anything you like. In comes with the Dragon, out goes the Rabbit.
It's hard to live in Cupertino and avoid the Chinese New Year. In the US, people think of dragon dances and parades. In my childhood memories, however, it was all about family gathering together and fire crackers. Red paper everywhere. Saying "Xin Nian Hao" to adults gets you "red envelopes" containing cash. Exciting at first, they got old fast when mother confiscated all the red envelopes year after year. She did not believe children should have money.
Vietnamese and Chinese Americans still celebrate this proud tradition with some adaptations. We will fly to LA and spend time with my parents. But it's really working in their LA home for the weekend since our lives are so busy. It's not like the old days any more. The only thing unchanged is mother will try to take away my red envelopes. She's not afraid to use force.
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If you hear "gunshots" this Sunday night, do not panic or herd your entire family into the bathtub like a friend did last year. It's probably just your neighbor's July 4th leftovers. But safety is #1. When in doubt, always stay on the safe side and dial 911.
As we look forward to an auspicious Dragon year, we reflect on the great place we live in, where everyone has the freedom to keep our heritage while working towards a common dream. To me, this is the true American spirit that makes us strong. God bless this country, and Xin Nian Hao!
