For Flamingo Mama

While we were waiting to adopt our baby girl, I read a
lot of books on Chinese Culture, Chinese Adoption, Families with
Chinese Children, etc.


I was determined to learn as much as I could about my
daughter's birth country,so that I might have some understanding
of what things may have been like for her(had she been raised there).


I wanted to see how the families who " came before us" were
raising their daughters.
Did their daughters speak Chinese, take Chinese
dance, go to Chinese schools, practice Eastern religions, whatever.


Then 4 weeks before we were to travel to meet Mary Elizabeth we had
our first Chinese New Year Party.


We had taken down all of our Christmas decorations except for one of the trees
that we had decorated with Chinese decorations and sparklers.


My sister in law came in and said, "Do they put up trees for Chinese New Year?"


I said, " No, but we do."


That was when I realized that it really doesn't matter how much I read
or how many chop sticks I buy- I can't "make " Mississippi China.....
No more than I can make China Mississippi.


We celebrate Chinese New Year the way our family wants to do it-
not the way some book describes or someone else thinks that we should.


We celebrate Chinese New Year in honor of the time that Mary Elizabeth
spent in China.


We celebrate it in honor of the friends that we made while we were there.


We celebrate because we feel in love with China and the people who call China home.


It is an important time for China - so, because we are an American
-Chinese family, it is important to us.


Most people think that Chinese New Year is about the Zodiac, the food,
the fireworks and fortune..but i do not.


I think that China celebrates the way they do because with each New Year
comes Promise, Hope, and Change.


It symbolizes a fresh start, a chance to wipe the slate clean, and hopefully
do a little better than before.


So there are a few things that we do here (that we all seem to enjoy &
look forward to).


We invite as many friends as we can.
Our friends are very supportive of our family and our children, so we invite them.


We invite our family..we live 2 hours from mine.
Some make it -some don't.


I have books on Chinese New Year and Festivals that we put out all over the house.
The kids are big readers and Mary Elizabeth wants us to read them to her ALL the time.


We always get on China Sprout and let the kids get New Clothes.
New Year=New Clothes
It is one of the Chinese Customs that the kids love.


We get a haircut.
The Chinese REALLY cut hair. We only get trims.


We serve pineapple..It is for prosperity. We do not believe in luck
good or bad, but the kids love pineapple...so it works for them.


We have a Chinese Meal and serve hot tea and Sweet Biscuits.
Our friends make the biscuits for us and the kids LOVE them....so does
everyone else.


Everyone uses chop sticks. I figure if the 3 year old can eat rice with hers...anyone can.


I have activities for the kids.
We have made fans, dragon masks, Monkey King masks, and lanterns.
This year it is a dragon mobile.


We put out Lanterns and Decorations from purchased China and
givrn to us by friends who are Chinese.


We play Chinese Music and we send home "Swag Bags" filled
with Chinese goodies.


We would love Fireworks..but the animals freak out.
Our friends say that Atlanta has a kickin' China Town..
fireworks, parades and such........we hope to do that in a few years.


AND all of this is subject to change.


Our tradition is to celebrate the China's New Year with our
children , family and friends-all of the other stuff is optional.


I think the best thing to do is to figure out how you want to do it as a family.
Why will you celebrate Chinese New Year OR will you celebrate at all?


Because we are Christians there are allot of things about the Chinese
culture that we just can't do, BUT we have found that you can
take a lot of the things and tweak them here and there and then it is do-able.


You family is not like any other family and I think your celebrations
should be just as unique as you are.

I hope this helped, and I hope I didn't ramble...It's late and I need coffee. ;)


I am sure that whatever you decide to do will be special .


I can't wait to see what you come up with.


Have fun.


Peace.