« Booked at the Library of Congress (maybe) | Home | So what is ‘authentic’ Chinese food anyway? »
So it’s Chinese New Year…Year of the Rat.
By Jennifer 8. Lee | February 7, 2008
A snippet from an IM conversation early today.
Shawn: happy new year! do you celebrate it with family/friends?
Me: not in the slightest. i’m more likely to go to seder for passover than celebrate chinese new year.
(Hey, the Jewish-Chinese connection in New York goes both directions).
No, seriously, Chinese New Year is a big deal when I was in China, because the entire country’s schedule orbits around it — like Xmas-New Years in the United States and Ramadan in the Middle East. Everything shuts down. This is why actually China’s worst snowstorms in 50 years couldn’t have come at worse time. But in New York, it was just an accomplishment to get alternate parking suspended on Lunar New Year. Some families pick up both sets of traditions when they immigrate between countries. Others lose both. I’ve often thought about “rediscovering” Chinese New Year.
Topics: Chinese Food | No Comments »
Comments are closed.