Chinese New Year

Happy New Year!  We have our house decorated with red and gold to celebrate the Year of the Rat.  Sounds lovely, don't you think?  But seriously, we all enjoyed learning about the Chinese New Year celebration and how it is the most important holiday in China.  The night before, the whole house is cleaned (to get rid of all the "bad things" form the previous year) and the next morning everyone bathes and puts on new clothes.  A fresh start!  The table is set in a very specific way (fish has a special spot, chicken, etc.) and all the elders are honored.  

We attended a celebration at the library where the girls made chinese lanterns, dressed up like a dragon and we all were treated to yummy pot stickers- delicious!  We are having a special New Year's celebration with my friend, Roxanne, and her children next week and we can't wait!