'Year of the Horse' Riding in with Lunar New Year

By Sarah Franklin

As partygoers valiantly apply ice packs to their foreheads after ringing in 2002 with champagne and fireworks, San Francisco will be gearing up for yet another equally splendid event - the Chinese New Year.

Following the lunar calendar and occurring on the first new moon of the year, (in this case Feb. 12), the traditional observance and succeeding celebrations will stretch over a period of two weeks. As the first full moon rises into the night sky 15 days later, the holiday culminates in what is historically known as the Lantern Festival, whose origins date back 2,000 years to the Han Dynasty.

San Francisco's adaptation of this parade has been in official existence since 1953, and the dazzling whirlwind of dragons and fiery spectacles that winds through Chinatown continues to draw thousands of onlookers each year.

The year 2002 in the Chinese Zodiac Calendar ushers in the Year of the Horse, and those born this year or within 12 year cycles of the date (i.e., 1990, 1978, 1966, etc.) can look to this year not only as a time for reflection and rebirth, but a royal ego boost with 12 months in the limelight.

Famous fellow "horses" include Barbara Streisand, Rembrandt, Sean Connery and Rita Hayworth.

"People born in the Year of the Horse are popular. They are cheerful, skillful with money, and perceptive, although they sometimes talk too much. They are wise, talented, good with their hands and sometimes have a weakness for members of the opposite sex. They are impatient and hot-blooded about everything except their daily work," according to a zodiac profile at the Chinese Culture Center.

"They like entertainment and large crowds. They are very independent and rarely listen to advice. They are most compatible with Tigers, Dogs and Sheep." (For more information, go to www.c-c-c.org/chineseculture/zodiac/zodiac.html#horse.)

There will be a multitude of horses and their likenesses dancing through the brightly illuminated streets at the Feb. 15 parade.

Although the parade may be the most conspicuous symbol of the holiday, a vibrant spectrum of traditions and history abounds within the Chinese community. Each of the 15 days in the Chinese New Year holds a special significance.

New Year's Day is one of purity and rebirth, and many families refrain from eating meat, which will add luck and longevity to their lives. The second day gave form to all dogs; such four-legged family friends may be treated with greater regard than usual. The seventh day is often called "Everybody's Birthday," as this is the annual birthday of all humans and the day that the Chinese would traditionally (in past days) add another year to their age.

Resplendent with symbols of good luck and happiness, the two weeks are filled with brightly-colored fruits, flowers, foods and well-wishing proverbs of yore. Spring couplets (phrases written in black ink upon red scrolls) adorn shop windows and storefronts, expressing favorable fortune for the upcoming year. Oranges, tangerines and candy trays, or "trays of togetherness," are shared and exchanged with family and friends.

Red "lai-see," envelopes filled with good luck money, are given as gifts to children. These symbolic customs exist alongside an equally fascinating set of superstitious customs such as setting off fireworks to ward off evil spirits, sweeping one's home entirely free of the old year and opening all doors to let in the new one.

Traditionally, all food for the New Year's celebration is prepared the previous day to avoid using sharp knives or instruments that will later "cut" the luck of the new year.

By far the most prominent theme of the New Year is the reunion of family and relations. Family gatherings on the eve and first day of New Year's were so important that in the early days of San Francisco's Chinatown, (when it almost exclusively consisted of male immigrants) certain family associations were created so that those without wives or children would have a familiar group of companions to celebrate with. Many of these associations still exist today.

For many, New Year's has always been a time to focus upon and honor family and friends.

"That's how I spend New Year's day," says Shirley, owner of the Richmond tavern Would You Believe? Cocktails. "It's about family." Would You Believe? holds a Chinese New Year's party every year, complete with red paper lanterns and lai-see envelopes.

"It's not just for Chinese," she adds. "Everyone takes part in the festivities and appreciates a good time with their friends.