新年快樂！Xin nian kuai le! Happy New Year!

To us Americans New Year's Eve can mean a multitude of things: food, champagne, parties, watching the Times Square "ball drop," counting down from ten to one and maybe even a kiss (wanted or unwanted) at midnight.

For the Chinese/Taiwanese, the Lunar New Year is quite different.  It is the most important of the Chinese holidays and is often referred to as the "春節" "chun jie" or Spring Festival.  My classmates and I were lucky enough to arrive in Taipei right in time to partake in the festivities.  Since we have been here a slew of red banners, orange trees and lanterns have adorned the city.  The significance of these things are to insure good luck and fortune for the coming year.  The first day of the new year is the 正月 "zheng yue" or the beginning of the lunar calendar.  The night before is referred to as 除夕"chu xi" or in English the eve of the passing year.  This night is a special time for families in which they reunite, dine (A LOT), celebrate and perform "rituals."

Myself, accompanied by four of my classmates, were honored to join in on a family dinner.   Our professor's dear friend who lives right outside of Taipei city graciously let us into her home and for one night we were a part of their family.

The first thing that struck me was the amazing view from their apartment.  In the distance you can see a Daoist temple that is a central part of their community.

They prepared traditional Taiwanese cuisine which was FRICKEN AMAZING and abundant.  One thing that struck my fancy was that the Chinese do not condone drinking alone.  Therefore, any time someone took a sip of wine, whiskey, or beer they cheers with at least another individual and say 乾杯 “gan bei" literally "dry cup" or simply 新年快樂！


Besides food and drink, we played games and did puzzles.  Us Michiganders attempted to teach the hostess how to play Euchre, but this proved very difficult with the language barrier.

Heather, Randy and Kyle doing puzzles!

In addition to fun, there were a few ceremonial things we had the chance to partake in.  On New Year's Eve, the Chinese burn fake money.  This is symbolic of insuring their ancestors good fortune in the afterlife.  

The night ended with the younger children and teens performing their respective talents for their family members.  Afterwards they were given red envelopes with money in them!  The family was so lovely, we even got a few envelopes too!

Here is one of the sons performing a traditional Chinese style of dance, the red mat he is holding is very heavy!  It takes a lot of skill and practice to master it.  

Another celebratory event is gambling.  The adults play Mahjong, and bet money on it.  The younger crowd plays a sort of dice game that after watching for a good hour or so, I still could not describe the rules.  

Gambling is generally frowned upon in Taiwanese culture, but is allowed during New Year's Eve for good fun.  

Overall, participating in the New Year was an amazing experience.  I was so overwhelmed with the kindness the family showed us.  They took 5 strangers, from a different culture, who barely speak their language, into their home for the most important holiday of the year.  It made me miss my family and friends terribly, but was heart-warming to feel welcome in a foreign place.  There was a collective calmness throughout the night, everyone was unswervingly happy and gracious.  All I could feel was love.  I am continually learning the human connection is something that can be achieved without words.

Getting back to the NTNU dorms, we met up with our other classmates.  In lieu of the New Year two of the girls, Brenda and Linda, surprised us with a cake.  I realized then that while in Taipei, this is my family and we all can feel at home with each other.