By now everyone is aware of the Coronavirus spreading rapidly across China and several other countries. In the last few days it seems to have reached the west coast of the US. It is still too early to know the extent of the epidemic. Thankfully, at this point, it has not reached pandemic proportions. But, wearing a face mask (if you can find one) in cro...

Continue reading »

Valentines day is coming soon. Don’t be caught off guard without an appropriate Chinese greeting. If this phrase sounds inverted … it is. In English, we say “Happy Valentines Day”, but the Chinese prefer to say “Valentines Day Happy”. This is true for all holiday greetings. But, it is not hard to get used to. Use th...

Continue reading »

Chinese people celebrate the new year on the second new moon following the Winter Solstice. They have many traditions to follow during the Spring Festival. (Yes, even in the dead of winter, they still call it Spring Festival). Probably the most important tradition is eating. There are many different foods that are eaten during Spring Festival. Spring ...

Continue reading »

Chinese people have a name for the first of January, but they don’t actually celebrate it. Their historic lunar calendar starts on a different day. The first of January is called Yuán dàn (元旦), but it has no real significance. The real Chinese New Year starts on the second new moon following the Winter Solstice. So it can occur anytime betwee...

Continue reading »

Winter Solstice is Dōngzhì (冬至) in Chinese. Dōngzhì festival has been celebrated for thousands of years. It is a time for friends and families to get together and mark the passing of time. Chinese people often make tāngyuán (湯圓), balls of glutinous rice with a sweet treat inside. They are often brightly colored and served in a bowl of sweet bro...

Continue reading »