过年啦!过年啦!

????????????????????????????????????In two days, it will be the Chinese New Year.

We’ll be making dumplings at home to mark the event. It’s funny how I’m now a lot more conscious in following tradition (trying at least) since Nina was born. Maybe I feel the responsibility of passing the tradition down to the next generation thus doing my part of conserving some culture.

I also draw a traditional 对联 or 年画 on our blackboard wall – my result on the left. In many parts of China, people will put up on the door or on the wall two vertical rolls of Chinese calligraphy with new year wishes, as well as some festive paintings. They are almost always in red.

It also means that according to Chinese custom, Nina will be 3 years old in just two days …

Well, Chinese babies are already one at the time of birth, and then will become one year older with every Chinese New Year passing. Nina was born four days before the last CNY, so she turned 2 years old just at the 5th day of her life. Chinese call this 虚岁 – another untranslatable concept, ‘nominal age’ perhaps? – to differentiate from 实岁 ‘Actual Age’.

笑盈盈辞旧岁,

喜滋滋迎新春。

万事如意!

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