Happy Lunar New Year everyone!
Chinese New Year festivities always mark my favorite time of year, and this year is no exception.
There's something magical about the fresh scent of jiaozi dough that swirls around the house as my father folds nuggets of pork and leeks into plump dumplings; the laughter that blares from open windows as Chinese neighbors call their relatives over the phone.
My grandmother is a little hard of hearing, and I can see her press her cheek against the phone's speaker.
“记得保重身体！” She tells me to take good care of myself.
In a way, it's become our tradition: my grandparents remind me to rest and I beam at their smiling faces, promising I will. Hopefully they can feel my sincerity, even through the muffled static of a FaceTime call.
After I end the call, I always find a red envelope on my desk, stuffed full with new year's allowance.
The Lunar New Year is all about red. My dad says it brings luck and prosperity. My mom tells me the color red pulses like a fire, protecting us from malevolent demons and spirits.
I've always taken this to heart.
Each time I entered the school spelling bee, I tugged on my bright red Canada sweatshirt, hoping the vibrant color would somehow magnetically attract all the correct spelling to me. Every piano concert and competition I entered featured me in a flaming red dress (to the point where judges began to recognize me simply because of it).
Red is like my guardian color.
Just like past years, my crimson sweater envelops me as I wait for the annual Spring Festival Gala to broadcast. My red, fuzzy socks tickle the bottoms of my feet. My arms are wrapped around my parents, and we chew on the nian gao (sweet rice cake) my mom made the night before. The red bean paste explodes in my mouth, and I melt along with it.
Every year, we sit together like this, arms resting on each other's shoulders, breathing in the festivity. Every year, a red thread fastens around us, pulling us in tighter and closer together.
It's finally the Lunar New Year, my favorite time of year.
So today I've put on my red, fuzzy socks. And I suggest you get some for yourself too.
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