New Holiday Moon and Chinese New Year of the Horse

Today is the Chinese New Year, which starts when the new moon appears in China. This is the month of the Holiday Moon, and the year of the Fire Horse. Horses represent strength, freedom, and spirited perseverance, and the element of fire magnifies these qualities with its intensity, urgency, and passion. This will be a fast-moving, high-energy year, with a stronger drive -- ideal for pursuing new opportunities, and making it especially important to stay attuned to the body’s limits and energy reserves.

This first new moon of the Chinese year is called the Holiday Moon, because it's the start of a month-long holiday season in China. The new moon is a time of high energy and clear thinking. Historically, the new moon is when women took time to be alone; it's a time to retreat, set intentions, and initiate something new.

The first day of the Chinese New Year is called Yüan-tan, the "Day of Origin". This one day determines the luck for the entire year, so Chinese people are careful to use their best manners and to remain honest and peaceful.

Agenda for today: 

1. Retreat Day

2. Choose a month theme

3. Set intentions

4. Eat jai for breakfast
5. Give gifts

6. Make and give hóngbāo (money packets)

1. Retreat Day:

If at all possible, I schedule a day of retreat on the new moon, or near to it: I do less talking, less business, and more personal thought and action. I had my retreat over the last weekend. 

2. Choose a month theme:

At the new moon I choose a new theme to give attention to. My theme this next 30 days is strength and resilience. 

Picture an unexpected storm; thunder shakes the earth and heavy spring rain falls- everything and everyone are surprised into creative action, and great changes are set in motion. (This seems to describe what is going on in my world!)

Shocks and sudden unforeseen problems cycle through my life like stormy weather. This is a difficult quality for me, very yang. The sudden distress makes me uncomfortable, but if I pause and lean in to the discomfort I'll see that it's an invigorating place to be. I'll see that it's not about ME.

Just as I need my home to be in good repair to weather a storm, I need to be strong myself. When I am physically and mentally strong, I thrive on moving forward without the baggage of fears and grudges. Strength goals might have to do with improving my vitality, my strength of mind and resilience, courage to act on a new idea, making lifestyle changes, or repairing and strengthening my physical infrastructure.

My strength and resilience practices this month:

• Being in Nature: Making time to be outside every day! Walk, and work in my garden.
• Continue daily health practices: Diet and stretches.
• Continue to study Perspective and keep a "new narrative" journal, as a tool for creative shifts in awareness and mental Order; 
• Cultivate Order in my home and yard.

3. Set intentions:

Last week I brainstormed some wild and crazy ideas for the next 30-days, and now it's time to narrow it down a little, to the priority items that I could possibly focus on this next month. This isn't a list of the practical things I need to do this month; rather it's my top actions, studies, and growth goals that fit with the "taste" of this month of my life.

After I list my top goals for the next 30 days, I'm ready to set some intentions for action. I've written just one intention today, and will write more later.

I intend to focus on building four aspects of Strength: Vigor (growing my energetic aura), flexibility (opening to the ambiguity of life), optimism (planting hope and love), and intention (remembering my purpose), because these will help me to fulfill my dreams.

 

4. Eat Jai for breakfast:

In Buddhist tradition, no meat is eaten on this first day of the year. It’s traditional to eat a breakfast of jai, a hot vegetarian dish that is part of a Buddhist rite to give thanks for the fruits of the earth. There are many recipes for jai; you can adapt mine to suit your taste.

Ingredients:

• 1/4-c. black fungus (fat choy)
• 1 tsp. + 3 Tbsp. oil

  

  The black fungus is in the center, soaking.

• 2 eggs
• salt
• 4 large Chinese cabbage leaves
• 3 slices fresh ginger
• 1/2 onion
• 1 stalk celery
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 lb. firm tofu
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 2-oz. of cellophane noodles (mung bean threads) 

Yield: Serves 4-

1. Soak the black fungus in cold water plus 1 tsp. oil for 15 minutes or until soft.

2. Beat 2 eggs in a bowl. Season with salt, and fry in a pre-heated oiled pan. 

Cool, then cut the egg into strips. Set aside.

3. Rinse 4 large leaves of Chinese cabbage, dry, and slice into 1/4-inch shreds. Also mince the fresh ginger, chop all the other vegetables, and cube the tofu. Drain the black fungus and cut into strips with scissors.

4. Combine vegetable broth and soy sauce.

5. Preheat a wok and add 2 Tbsp. of oil. Stir-fry the ginger and cabbage for a few minutes. Remove and set aside with the egg.

6. Add 1 more Tbsp. of oil to the wok, and stir-fry the remaining vegetables, black fungus, and tofu. Add the broth mixture, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer 20 minutes, adding water as needed.

7. Meanwhile, cover the noodles with warm water and soak for about 15 minutes. When they are soft, drain them and cut into 2-inch pieces with scissors.

8. Add the noodles, cabbage, ginger, and egg strips to the wok. Bring back to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and cook until the noodles are translucent- about 5 minutes. Serve with tea.

5. Give gifts:

One year, my daughter brought apricots and truffles, and my son brought rum!

Chinese people spend the first days of the new year making visits to friends and relatives: Parents and grandparents receive the first visits, and so on, until by the fourth day very casual friends may drop in. The fifth day is reserved for visits to people who live further away.

Visitors greet each other with kind words to help encourage a year of prosperity. The most common greeting is:

Gung hay fat choy 

(Pronounced "Goong Heyy Faat Choy")

Congratulations, may you be prosperous!

Visitors at the New Year always bring a gift. Chinese New Year presents are similar in spirit to Christmas presents, but tend more often to be food items. Visitors bring gifts such as-

• candied fruits or cakes
• Chinese tea
• flowers
• a bag of oranges or tangerines
• hóngbāo money (see below)

6. Make and give hóngbāo (money packets):

Hóngbāo envelopes made by my art class students.

One tradition we try to maintain is gifts of hóngbāo for our kids. Most Asian stores carry these small red envelopes in an assortment of designs, or you can always make your own with red origami paper.

Remember to fill the envelopes with paper money only, and in even numbered amounts. The color red is good-luck, so money wrapped in red will surely multiply.

Supplies: Red origami paper or other thin red paper, pencil, scissors, glue stick, black pen, gold and silver metallic pens.

1. Click on the pattern to the right, and download it. Print on card stock and cut it out.

2. Trace onto red paper and cut it out again.

3. Fold on the dotted lines, and glue the flaps closed (except the top flap).

I teach my students the traditional Chinese way to show respect to their elders, with a bow, which should lead in return to receiving hóngbāo. 

If it doesn’t, they can say, “Hong Bao Na Lai," which is "May I have the red envelope, please!"