Happy Chinese New Year!

If you see any of our Stone family with Chinese heritage this Friday, remember to wish them gong xi fa cai (pronounced "gung hey fot choy"), or Happy Chinese New Year!  The Lunar New Year is a cause for celebration for lots of Asian cultures, and you don't have to be Asian to join the fun any more than you need to be Irish to eat a green bagel on St. Patrick's Day!  Many in our community will be visiting the conveniently-located Argyle Street Parade in the Uptown neighborhood informally referred to as "Little Vietnam."  While you are there, enjoy some long noodles for long life (Café Hoang is my go-to on that street, but there are all sorts of delicacies to be found up and down the street, and plenty of warm soups if the icy weather keeps up!).  Keep trying those chopsticks if they are new to you...practice makes perfect!

If you venture to the South Side, may I recommend The Chinese-American Museum of Chicago?  I think this museum is a real treasure in the city, and not enough people across all cultures know about it or visit it, even though it has something interesting for everyone.  It's a manageable size, relatively affordable, and have beautiful and regularly changing exhibits.  "Traditional Chinese Festivals" is on display even after the New Year, hope you can visit and then explore the neighborhood! 

Meanwhile, here at home in the library we will be enjoying Chinese folktales, looking at maps to differentiate between Asian countries, setting off safe noise-making "fireworks" and our children were already so excited by the video we watched that showed how the mighty, dragon-like puppet that performs the traditional "lion dance" works from beneath, with eyes that blink and a mouth that opens and closes.  We decided our big dragon hanging in the library has a body like an Asian dragon, but a head that has a more European influence.  Even dragons are diverse at our school.  Another Stone win!!!

Happy Year of the Horse, health and prosperity to all, and a special warm wish and virtual "red envelope" to our Asian families at Stone!  For more Chinese New Year fun, please click here, and scroll down for a list of great books and links to add to appreciation of Asian heritage.