Lunar New Year

“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” ― Oprah Winfrey

Me on Feb 18, 2024  

Hauʻoli Makahiki Hou!  That means, "Happy New Year" in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.  

I am of three cultures, Ilocano, French-Canadian, and Korean.  I was raised with two New Year's celebrations.  Mom always called it the Korean New Year, but as I got older I learned other Asians celebrated it and have other names for it.  Most people I knew, called it Chinese New Year or Tet.  I just call it Lunar New Year to be more inclusive to all people who celebrate.  

This time of year, people usually put money in a red envelope as a gift.  The Chinese have a phonetic saying, "Gung hey fat choy," which does not mean "Happy New Year," but more along the lines of "have more money."  How cool is that?  

It's like Christmas all over again.  Gift-giving and well-wishes.  I was able to give to a woman I befriended when I lived in Oregon.  She lost her teenaged son to gun violence a few months back (article).  And then someone stole her clothes off her clothesline, so her younger children had no winter coats and she lost all her scrubs for work.  I wish people would take into consideration that some people are really struggling in life and financially, and that taking from others is damaging them more.  According to her surveillance camera footage, it was a teenager who stole the clothes.  

I hope that my little bit of money, which was basically money earned from a gratuity, can be used for warm coats.  I hope everyone does better this year.  If January 1st wasn't the beginning of a New Year, at least we have February to start again.

새해 복 많이 받으세요 (Happy New Year in Korean)

Kiss Me Under the Donut

“The donut dunked herself in coffee But burnt herself in the process And despite the scars she bore She was delicious anyways” ― Brendan Bigney, Atomic Kiss 

 Trevor and I went to the Donut Life Museum (now closed) and on the way out, he wanted to kiss me under a donut, just like we would under the mistletoe. He HAS to have a mistletoe for Christmas. This is reason #847 why I love him so much.

I wrote this on November 16, 2012 in a Facebook post:

Mistletoe was held sacred by the Norse, the Celtic Druids and the North American Indians. The Druid priests would cut mistletoe from an oak tree with a golden sickle. The branches had to be caught before they touched the ground. 

They then divided the branches into many sprigs and distributed them to the people, who hung them over doorways as protection against thunder, lightning and other evils. The folklore continued over the centuries. It was believed that a sprig placed in a baby's cradle would protect the child from goblins. Giving a sprig to the first cow calving after New Year would protect the entire herd. 

Mistletoe is a symbol for peace and joy. The idea originated in the ancient times of the Druids: whenever enemies met under the mistletoe in the forest, they had to lay down their arms and observe a truce until the next day. From this comes the custom of hanging a ball of mistletoe from the ceiling and exchanging kisses under it as a sign of friendship and goodwill.

Slippin' Slidin' in my Socks

My mom is not one who really understands Christmas, because when she was a child in Korea, they didn't celebrate the holiday in her Buddhist household.  Skip to America, she shops for Christmas, and she always gives something small, because she wants to make sure everyone gets something from her.  Small usually means, a pair of socks, a package of underwear, or nail polish.  It's the thought that counts.  She's trying.

This Christmas past, my mother gave me a package of soft and fuzzy slipper socks.  I have been wearing them and they are the bomb when I'm in my shoes.  They aren't anything like the ones offered in the hospital.  They are cushy and soft.

However, they easily slip off when I'm sleeping.  For instance, this morning, I got out of bed to turn .my alarm clock off, which I keep across the room, and although the socks stick to the floor, I freakin' slipped IN my socks and fell on my butt.

Only me.