Welcome to the Year of the Rat!
Chinese New Year is usually celebrated on the second new moon after the winter solstice. It is traditional for every family to thoroughly clean their house beforehand, in order to sweep away any ill-fortune and to make way for incoming good luck. There is plenty of decorating, feasting, fireworks and gifts, as well as public celebrations over multiple days.
Where New Year’s celebrations in the West are about resolutions to improve ourselves, Chinese New Year traditions look to fill the new year with good luck and prosperity. So to you I say:
“May the new year bring in your life joys that never fade,
hopes that never die,
and strength that never weakens.“
Wishing you a very happy Chinese New Year.
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In light of the tradition of sending special messages to friends, I’m sending you a few of my favorite Chinese proverbs to celebrate with, all of them in lucky Chinese red:
“A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.”
“We count our miseries carefully, but accept our blessings without much thought.”
“When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills.”
“All things are difficult before they are easy.”
“The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed.”
“The person who says something is impossible should not interrupt the person who is doing it.”
“No matter how tall the mountain is, it cannot block the sun.”
“A gem is not polished without rubbing, nor a person perfected without trials.”
“If I keep a green bough in my heart, the singing bird will come.”
“Even the tallest tower started from the ground.”
“Patience is power; with time and patience the mulberry leaf becomes silk.”
China, in the midst of a coronavirus outbreak, is cancelling many of their New Year activities. Let’s pray for our brothers and sisters in China.
Amen
Amen indeed.
You have such a great gift! You could compile your blog into a daily book of thoughts for today.
Thank you so much. I love knowing God uses this. It’s kind of is a thought-of-the-day, isn’t it? (I hope they are God’s thoughts filtered through His Pam.)
These nuggets of wisdom lifted my spirits so much that I printed them to hang on my kitchen wall. In fact, unless you object, I’d like to send a copy to a friend who is going through some very hard times.
Absolutely send them. The best thing we can do is help each other.