Issue 4: Hopping Into a Year of Peace, Change and Possibilities 🐇
So Back off Elmer Fudd!
Hey Friends!
Can you believe we're halfway through the month? It's mid-January which means that this weekend is Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year!
We love learning about different cultural traditions (and superstitions) worldwide and even added this book to our reading list. If you ever wondered how the Lunar Calendar came to be, don't worry – we've got you covered along with other fun reads, a trip down memory lane with local entrepreneur Johnny Lee, and tasty dishes to feast on.
Wishing you a prosperous new year! 🏮
From your Dragon and Horse friends at WW
(and no, we will not tell you our birth years)
🐲 Chinese Zodiac – The Great Race 🐶
While there are many renditions of the story, we decided to use the version from the gorgeous book, The Chinese Zodiac: And Other Paths to Luck, Riches & Prosperity by Aaron Hwang.
So the legend begins…
Photo credit: THE HEAVENLY GATE RACE, A CHINESE ZODIAC ORIGIN STORY
There once was a race organized by the Jade Emperor – one of the most important gods in the traditional Chinese religion. He wanted to invent a calendar that would map the flow of qì in the universe.
So the Jade Emperor declared a race. The first twelve animals that could visit his Heavenly Palace would receive a permanent place in the calendar by having one of the twelve phases named after them.
Thus, the order was Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Cat entered the race with Rat but never finished. Therefore, the relationship between rats and cats has been foul since. (Please refer to Tom and Jerry for further examples.)
The Lunar New Year 🏮
Traditionally, Lunar New Year is about 16 days (Jan. 21st - Feb. 5th). It’s a time to refresh one’s luck and welcome new fortune; a time to celebrate and have communal meals and gatherings with friends and family.
Other Far East countries also celebrate Lunar New Year, such as Tibet, Korea, Vietnam, and Mongolia.
As the next New Year approaches, move toward it with sure steps and clear eyes. Don’t forget that gratitude is to the past what wishing is to the future, an honoring of all that life has to offer. Celebrate all that you’ve accomplished so far, as it will fortify you moving forward - The Chinese Zodiac, Aaron Hwang
2023 is the Year of the Rabbit 🐰
Rabbits are said to be peacemakers, bringers of change, and new possibilities. This zodiac symbolizes sensitivity, diplomacy, art and beauty, and fertility. 2023 is predicted to be a year of hope. At WW, we sure hope for growth (so please, “hop” to it and share our newsletter with your friends and family 😉).
What to Do and Not to Do for Chinese New Year from the family blog The Woks of Life.
Lunar Traditions with Johnny Lee
WW: How do you celebrate Lunar New Year with your loved ones?
🐍 JL: Every Lunar New Year, we do a dinner celebration with our friends, loved ones, and our employees. Everyone is a fan of seafood, so we stock up on fresh crabs, lobsters, oysters, scallops, and some sashimi.
We all help prepare for the feast.
Some people bring soup that has been slow cooking for over a day. Some people bring their crispy pork belly that is dry-aged and roasted to perfection, homemade rice wine from their hometown, dumplings using their grandmothers’ recipes, and anything that brings a little bit of joy and comfort to remind us of our childhood and hometowns.
WW: Favorite childhood memory celebrating Lunar NY?
🐍 JL: I grew up in China while my parents worked on island. I’d be happy when one of my parents came back to visit me. We would light up cheap fireworks and sparklers on our little balcony. All our neighbors and their kids would do the same. Our whole building would be filled with a faint scent of gunpowder and smoke.
We’d hear popping sounds everywhere, with streaks of lights flying from one building to another.
The neighborhood kids were busy for hours running up and down the building, playing fireworks tag, and going to the next building to rally other kids in our block. After sunset, we hear all our names being called by our parents/grandparents to come back home for our New Year’s Eve dinner.
We know this newsletter probably made you hungry. Check out Johnny and his team over at Lee Garden in Tumon and Agat.
Weekend Reads 📚
🧹 Reset and refresh your space for the New Year by following Apartment Therapy’s guided tasks.
🥟 Bon Appétit’s chefs and writers share dishes they cook for Lunar New Year.
🐇 Everything you need to know about the Year of the Rabbit and your Chinese zodiac here.
👹 Monsters, demons, and ghosts - oh my! These three popular Chinese legends explain why it’s important to celebrate the new year and ward off these spirits.
This Week’s Weather & Events
Saturday, January 21
👕 New Year Rummage Sale at Wettengel Elementary School
7 AM to 10 AM
Sunday, January 22
🥟 Lunar New Year Feast at Toh-Lee Chinese Restaurant
There will be a special lunch and dinner menu in celebration of Lunar New Year, inclusive of chilled snow crab legs, roasted duck, crispy noodles, dim sum, and deep-fried tofu. Call 671-649-8815 for reservations.
📍Hotel Nikko
Lunch 11:30 am - 2:00 pm
Dinner 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
$55* Adult / $32* Child🥢 Lunar New Year Brunch at Taste
Enjoy the Lunar New Year spread with Peking duck, Chinese street foods, dim sum, a teppanyaki station, and delicious traditional sweets. Call 671-647-1020 for reservations.
📍Westin Resort Guam
Lunch 11:30 am - 2:00 pm
$75* Adult / $45* Child
Tuesday, January 24
🐲 Chinese New Year Dragon Dance
Showtime: 2 p.m.
This newsletter is made with lots of love and a ridiculous amount of coffee. You can support us by sharing our newsletter with your homies and/or by showing some love on Buy Me a Coffee ☕️