As an foreigner in this country, it sucks when holiday seasons begins since half the holidays here in the U.S. do not exist elsewhere. So I am going to talk about the holiday in China that would be the equivalent of Thanksgiving – The Chinese New Year!

During the Chinese New Year, the tradition would be that no one goes to work during that two weeks, and it is pure family time. Usually we will choose the most elderly family’s house to stay in during the time, and there will be fireworks, card games, and just time off from all the daily work depression.

In my family, we will usually go to my grandfather’s house to celebrate the occasion. The family then will stay up all night, not that it keep us in shape (ha ha so funny) but it is a tradition to “guard” the night before it goes to another year.

As a younger ones in the family, you get a lots of benefits during the new year. You get money. There is a thing call the red pockets, and it is basically money putted inside of a red envelop to wish you good luck. There’s also, of course, tons of food. Dumplings are mandatory to have on the table, and there’s usually a bunch of meats, fishes, unhealthy greasy stuff, as I said, similar to thanksgiving right? But better yet, you get whole two weeks off instead of just one here!

And just a FYI, the Chinese New year changes every years, and for this year it is at Friday, the February 16!