Reflections on the Chinese New Year
The strong smell of foreign money wafted out of the brilliant red envelope. Eleven one-dollar bills were tucked inside, so crisp around the edges that they might give you a paper cut if not handled with care. These little red envelopes, called "Lai See'' (利是) in Cantonese, are packets that contain “good fortune money” and are traditionally given during the Chinese New Year. This particular Lai See was given to me by my father at the Hong Kong International Airport in 2000, moments before I crossed the departure gate and left my homeland alone for the very first time as a 17-year-old.
A small sampling of Lai See
The Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, is a joyous 15-day festival, all about wishing good luck and fortune to your friends, family, and colleagues. Falling in late January or early February, it is a holiday of hope as we emerge from our collective winter hibernation and eagerly await the warmer spring weather. During this time of year, the streets succumb to a sea of red and gold decorations, dangling from street lamps, adorning shopping malls, and bobbing from restaurant eaves. Red symbolizes luck. Gold symbolizes fortune. A little bit of pocket change can lead to both, no?
My niece Tian-Tian helping my sister Dorothy to stuff new money into Lai See.
All Lai See contain cash and are given from "old to young” or "senior to junior” during the Chinese New Year. For example, married couples give to their single, younger relatives. Even for unmarried folks, as long as you have started a career and are more senior than someone else close to you, you are expected (and at times, guilted) to give. So, the more people you bump into, the more chances you have to rack up pockets full of Lai See.
My parents posing in front of a Lion Dance setup
A traditional sweets box (upper left), Turnip cake (lower left), Cane Sugar Year Cake (upper right), and an assortment of Fried Sweet Sesame Balls and Taro Balls (lower right). Red and yellow flowers are popular choices during Chinese New Year.
The Chinese New Year is, however, not just about the money. It is a bit like American Thanksgiving—extended family and friends visit each others’ homes, enjoy each others’ company, and feast together. As a kid, the food was my favorite part: the Chinese New Year boasts a full menu of special holiday foods and snacks, available only during this time of year. The fragrance of delicately fried sesame waffle rolls and weaved sliced taro balls would make their way from the kitchen into the living room and hallways—you couldn’t help but salivate over what they would soon taste like.
In keeping with the Chinese New Year custom, I’ve been given thousands, if not tens of thousands of Lai See since birth. Standing there in the Hong Kong airport as a 17-year-old, I had saved up around $10,000 (plus the $11 from my dad). This “good fortune money,” in fact, enabled me to seek my fortune and pursue something I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. I had applied to a community college in California, received my international student visa, and bought a one-way ticket to San Francisco. Even though the Lai See money was only good for the ticket and one semester of tuition, I was prepared to find work and pay my way through school.
So that’s pretty much what I did throughout college, often working three to five part-time jobs concurrently, hustling between transitions to and from classes. As a result, I honed executive functioning skills and acquired broad industry knowledge—all of which have helped lead me to RTP and the Emerson Waldorf School.
I would love to leave you all with a parting thought and wish: just as my lifelong savings from Lai See provided hope and opportunities to me, I am hopeful that as we approach spring, fairer weather and better things are in store for us. The Emerson Waldorf School has already fallen on some good fortune, remaining open after the first few months of the pandemic, providing for our next generation in-person learning with ample safety protocols in place. To add a cherry on top, we even finished 2021 with a heart-warming and beloved Winter Faire, well on our way to rebuilding the sense of a tight-knit community. In Chinese culture, we often wish each other good health and better prospects in the new year. My sincere hope is that you can invite a roomful of red (luck) and gold (fortune) into your lives, and carry such good vibes into the warmer months ahead.
A bit of an embarrassing hairstyle, but this is a picture with my cousins growing up. Nice CNY flowers though!
Bonus Read:
If you are into astrology and fortune-telling, or at least want to entertain your loved ones, here’s a well-organized and safe website to visit, where you can learn all about each of the 12 Chinese Zodiacs (from the Celestial Race). With a bit more research, you can also find out about the 5 Chinese elements based on your birthday too!
https://chinesenewyear.net/zodiac/
A fun and well-balanced picture book about the ancient story of “The Race for the Chinese Zodiac” by Gabrielle Wang. I read this to my children’s class during CNY celebrations in the past. A must-read again during 3rd or 4th grade during zoology block too!
https://gabriellewang.com/book/the-race-for-the-chinese-zodiac/
-Henry Yeung Kai Chan, member of the Board of Directors, father of 3 current EWS students
