CHINESE NEW YEAR
text
Agnès Peillet
THE Year
OF THE Goat
Long after our celebrations and
resolutions are forgotten, the
Chinese community here and around
the world gets ready to celebrate its
own New Year. This year that falls on
February 19th and it will usher in the
Year of the Goat.
The Chinese community in Kenya
is growing at breakneck speed. By
some accounts there are anywhere
between 3,000 to 10,000 Chinese
expats living in Nairobi. Yet unless
you are into Chinese food or have
friends in that community, signs of
celebration will be hard to spot. No
big flashy parade with the traditional
dragon dance, no loud firecrackers
lighting up the Chinatown night.
Behind the scenes though, a
different story will unfold. Chinese
New Year (CNY) is an important
traditional Chinese holiday which
is usually celebrated at home with
family and friends. Celebrations
begin the night before with major
housecleaning - spider webs and
dust bunnies are spirited away to
help get rid of any lingering bad juju
and make space for incoming good
luck. Banners spelling ‘happiness’,
‘luck’ and ‘wealth’ are placed around
doors. Red paper cuts and lanterns
are hung from ceilings. On CNY day,
family and friends gather together
and traditional foods like dumplings
and other delicacies are shared while
sipping on black tea. Red envelopes
filled with coins are exchanged; this
popular custom is said to bring good
fortune to the recipients. TV screens
are turned on to watch parades
in which teams of dragon dancers
handling long flexible figures of
dragons move to mimic the sinuous
movements of the river spirit. Later
on, karaoke machines are plugged in
and Champagne-inebriated amateur
singers sing along to the latest Nicki
Minaj tune.
One imagines Chairman Mao
turning in his grave.
Champagne
inebriated
amateur singers
sing along to
the latest Nicki
Minaj tune.