Chinese New Year will be celebrated on Friday, February 12th. In The Mayflower Community, we have planned a sedate event because there is so much else happening in February—the Super Bowl party menu, a Winter Dinner, and a Des Moines Symphony appetizer and wine event followed by Valentine’s Day two days after the Chinese New Year and Mardi Gras two days after that, all enhanced by a month of COVID-19 vaccinations.
However, in the spirit of the Chinese New Year, the Mayflower Foodservice staff will be providing a treat for Health Center and Beebe Assisted Living residents accompanied with commemorative napkins, mints, and fortune cards. Since residents still can’t gather in large groups, there will be no other partying.
However, we would like to share information about this holiday, as it is especially meaningful to at least one of our residents, Chao Huang. In a recent interview, he shared his thoughts about his heritage and the Chinese New Year.
Interviewer: “Where were you born and how long have you been living at the Mayflower?” Chaoteng Huang (Chao) grew up in Taiwan and moved to California in 1985. Later he moved to Oklahoma. Two years ago, Chao moved to Mayflower in Grinnell from another Iowa city.
Interviewer: “How would you define the Chinese New Year? What does it mean to you?” For Chao, the Chinese New Year represents celebrating a long life and being thankful for the family that surrounds you. Chao believes that the overall purpose of the Chinese New Year is to internalize good thoughts and embrace a new start.
Interviewer: “What is the animal symbol for the 2021 Chinese Year? What does that represent?” This is the Year of the Ox. Each New Year, the animal symbol of that year, is considered lucky. If that is your birth year, it will be filled with good fortune. Twelve different animal symbols rotate annually.
Interviewer: “How did you and your family celebrate Chinese New Year growing up? What were some of your traditions?” Chao’s family members gathered to celebrate the New Year. This celebration included eating many special foods; reminiscing; singing; dancing; and playing traditional games,
such as Mahjong. Traditionally, when the clock strikes midnight, the elders or parents would give the children an envelope filled with coins. The children would kneel to their parents or elders and receive the envelope.
Chao added that everyone dressed in new clothes, which symbolize a new life and a new start. Fireworks were set off at midnight, representing the removal of all bad things. Celebrating the Chinese New Year would sometimes last for three days and Chao said that he would typically not sleep much because of the excitement.
Interviewer: “What are some of the traditional dishes served on or around the Chinese New Year?” Dumplings are a main staple of Chinese New Year. Coins are sometimes cooked into a few dumplings. If an individual is to bite down on a coin found in their dumpling, they will have good luck in the year ahead (after a trip to the dentist!).
Steamed whole fish is another popular dish. Eating the fish represents life in the year ahead. Chao recalls various desserts being served, specifically a sweet, rolled pancake dish that he enjoyed.
We certainly appreciate how Chao has enhanced the life here at Mayflower.
— Bob Mann, Sales & Marketing Director
