Give me a holiday that can be celebrated with food and I am in. Case in point: Chinese New Year. For several years we have found ways to celebrate at home with good food, sometimes by cooking ourselves and sometimes by bringing home take-out from our favorite restaurant. And always with Shirley Temples to drink. When I was a kid, Shirley Temples were the drink that I associated with Chinese food restaurants and I have passed this tradition on to my kids. During dinner we talk about the tradition of exchanging red envelopes and about what animal year we are moving into. This year we looked into why there is a discrepancy about whether this year belongs to the Sheep or the Goat. (For more info on that debate, go here.) Some years we have made paper lanterns, felt fortune cookies or other themed crafts. It's not a grand celebration, but it's a simple tradition that we are building. And the kids seem to look forward to it.
This year I shopped for fresh dim sums and fried rice ingredients at a newly discovered Asian foods grocery store. While I was wandering the aisles picking up more than just the items on my list, I was approached by a gleeful employee who handed me a gold envelope and wished me a happy new year. A HUGE smile spread across my face. I didn't open the envelope until I left the store but when I did I found a $10 gift certificate! I was incredibly touched by this kind gesture. I related this story to my 7 year old daughter on the walk home after school. The kids worked together to set the table- without being asked- and were polite, gracious and talkative during the meal. Before we started eating, my daughter proudly presented us each with little brown construction paper packets surrounding twenty cents which she had pulled out of her own spending cash. She had been inspired by my story and wanted to give something in the spirit of the holiday! I will admit to being incredibly touched. And having an even HUGER smile spread across my face.
This year I shopped for fresh dim sums and fried rice ingredients at a newly discovered Asian foods grocery store. While I was wandering the aisles picking up more than just the items on my list, I was approached by a gleeful employee who handed me a gold envelope and wished me a happy new year. A HUGE smile spread across my face. I didn't open the envelope until I left the store but when I did I found a $10 gift certificate! I was incredibly touched by this kind gesture. I related this story to my 7 year old daughter on the walk home after school. The kids worked together to set the table- without being asked- and were polite, gracious and talkative during the meal. Before we started eating, my daughter proudly presented us each with little brown construction paper packets surrounding twenty cents which she had pulled out of her own spending cash. She had been inspired by my story and wanted to give something in the spirit of the holiday! I will admit to being incredibly touched. And having an even HUGER smile spread across my face.