Renata, at Christmas time in Kerry they have salted ling (which is a large cod) cooked similarly. But you have to really soak and rinse the fish overnight and then cook it in the milk and onions. They then have it with white sauce. It is still very salty and not particularly to my taste. I think I would prefer the black-eyed peas too!

Diversity is a wonderful thing ! Thank you everyone for sharing. I'm a
black- eyed peas girl myself !

Thank you, Lorra, Karen and Dawn! And Dawn, my grandmother, in Italy, who was from the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, never missed a new year's eve dinner without baccala', a dried cod fish, soaked overnight and slowly cooked in milk and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. I keep searching for it here, but it is hit-and-miss when the stores carry it. And I love herring too! Renata

She was from the south! South Saint Louis.

Dawn
In beautiful Northwest Montana

Herring??? Here in the south a pot of black-eyed peas is a requirement!!

Renata, Thank you for sharing all of the traditions that make this such a special time for you and your family. It has so much more meaning than the American New Year where most Americans go out partying, make lots of noise at midnight, then go home and fall into bed. And, then the next day we make resolutions that usually are not kept. I do remember an Aunt who followed a tradition of eating herring on New Year's Eve (for propserity) and would go into a tizzy if she could not find it!

Dawn
In beautiful Northwest Montana

Thanks Renata for the interesting look into your life and traditions. I love to hear about other families' customs.

Rita that is a very beautiful picture.

Rita and Renata, thank you both for sharing with us. It was very interesting to learn of other traditions. Maybe some of the other TQS sisters have something to share. I am sorry I can not think of anything to share at this time. I wish you all a very happy and healthy new year.

Thanks Renata! Same to you and yours!

Margo wrote: Margo, I wish you and your family all that you hope for in the Year of the Dragon. You have given so selflessly to all of us on this Forum--may your goodness come back to you ten-fold! Renata

Reetzbobeetz wrote: Wow, Rita! My compliments to your son! I only had to stuff pre-made little red envelopes with our family name already embossed. But his is a work of love and much more precious that will bring double-luck to his classmates! Please let him know. And the positive learning experience will stay with him for a lifetime, bringing goodness and luck back to him. Renata

Fascinating, Renata! Thanks for sharing your culture with us!

Renata, thank you for sharing your family's tradition with us. It is really interesting to learn about others, I think. My son has an assembly in school tomorrow where they will be celebrating the Chinese New Year. He has made 150 tiny red envelopes with an even number of coins in each one for everybody in his year. It took him a while because we couldn't get red paper and he had to use red card instead. Very hard on the hands. But a very good learning experience for him.

Happy Lunar New Year to All!

Our family is Chinese and Italian so we celebrate the best of both traditions as well as American traditions. Of course, spring cleaning comes early for us in preparation for New Year to sweep out the old year and put away the dustpan by New Year's day in order not to accidentally sweep out something good in the New Year.

We still get the obligatory hair cut before New Year, symbolic of new growth) and we make several hundred dumplings (jiaozi) frozen ahead of time to serve friends when they come to visit during the 15-day holiday period. Dumplings kind of resemble the shape of golden ingots so when we serve them they are symbolic of wealth wished to those you serve them to.

Last night was our family New Year's Eve dinner and every dish is symbolic of health, wealth, happiness or long life. Small dishes of those foods are also displayed on the family altar where we pay respect to our ancestors. Since DH is eldest son, the altar is our responsibility. Married people give a small amount of good luck money in a red envelope (known as a "hong bao" in Mandarin or a "lai see" in Cantonese) to those who are still single the first time they see them during the holiday period.

For the next two weeks, until the Lantern Festival, friends will visit and we will visit with friends to wish each other good things for the New Year. So, to all the TQS family who reads this, many good wishes to you, may you enjoy a happy and abundant Year of the Dragon!

Xinnian Kuaile! (Mandarin)
Gong Hei Fat Choy! (Cantonese)

PS Rita, your cheongsam is lovely and so are you in it. I cannot fit into mine because I've gained a few stones…