CHUC MUNG NAM MOI

Today is January 1, 4706 in the Lunar calendar. It is the Year of the Ox. It is my Year according to the Chinese astrology based on a cycle of 12 years (Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig) and the five elements - metal, water, wood, fire and earth. I am a metal Ox in the Chinese horoscopes. It got a little complicating since I was born on December 12th of the Ox year, so technically I am considered a water Tiger with a metal Ox tail. No wonder I have always suffered from identity crisis!

To all my adoring fans and faithful followers, Chuc Mung Nam Moi (Happy New Year in Vietnamese) and Gung Hay Phat Choy (Chinese), may you and your family enjoy many years of good health, prosperity and happiness.

Lion dance or dragon dance is one of the highlights of the New Year celebration. The dance is a ritual to whisk demons away and to bring prosperity to businesses and homes. Performers received money in red envelopes as an appreciation for their services.

Hey Qaptain Qwerty, look what I found. What a coincidence that I found this issue celebrating the New Year in 1994, the Year of the Dog, from the magazine named Tuoi Tre published by Vietnamese-American Youth Organization. Did you draw the front cover? Hope it brings back good memories seeing the magazine and the description of what the organization tried to provide to the community.