If you can't beat 'em...

Here in China, we are celebrating the Lunar New Year. It's called the Spring Festival and it's a BIG BIG DEAL. It's equivalent in importance to celebrating Christmas in America. It's a time for Chinese people to go home, see family, eat lots of yummy food and enjoy time resting from their otherwise work-driven lives. For Chinese children, it means a break from school, new clothes, lots of house chores (right before the holiday they clean the house from top to bottom) and hong baos-a hong bao is a red little "bag" that has money in it. On day two of the Chinese New Year, which lasts 15 days, children get to go around to their relatives homes and collect their hong baos!

Before we left for Thailand, we heard lot of chickens making noise. Most families had bought one and were storing it in their home until the big day. A few people tied theirs to trees outside. We also saw lots of curtains and linens hung out to dry. People are serious about a good cleaning this time of year! Many of our friends traveled for days on packed trains to get home and be with their families. Most stores and restaurants close so their employees can go home. So the city is super quiet...all except...

the fireworks!

A big part of the celebration is setting off fireworks. And in China, where there are hardly any regulations on these things, regular ole citizens can get their hands on some major explosives. On the first day of the Chinese New Year and the last, (and all the days in between) fireworks can be heard throughout the day and night. On the first and last day of the celebration, IT'S INSANE. I mean, INSANE. Huge fireworks, right out our window for hours on end. Thus, the mass exodus to sunny, quieter Thailand.

While in Thailand, we missed most of the fireworks, though many of the restaurants in our town are still closed. But we got home in time to enjoy the last few days of the festival. We decided to join in the fun and bought our own fireworks to set off. Here's a video of the 15 dollars worth of explosives we bought!

IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM, JOIN 'EM!!