Chinese New Year

Last night was Chinese New Year. We heard fireworks going off all around our house and decided to venture out to see what was going on. This is a picture of the side of a building down at Seaworld. It is the year of the Ox so they have pictures and toys of oxen all over the place. We were expecting a big firework show but found out that it was just people randomingly setting them off. At midnight it really got crazy. We had gone back home and were ready to go to bed. It sounded like a warzone. The sky was lit up all around us. It continued all night long and we even woke up to them going off this morning.

The legend is that a monster came on New Years Eve several thousand years ago and destroyed a village. The next year it came back and did the same thing so the following year they were prepared for it. They let off fireworks all night long to scare the monster off. It worked so the people spent the next few days celebrating. That is why they have fireworks going off all night.

Another belief about the New Year is that if your house isn't clean and in order by New Years Eve your family will have bad luck for the entire next year. My Ayi spent the last week really cleaning my house. Not a bad idea.
This is a picture of the plaza at Seaworld. It was decorated with red lanterns all down the center of the Plaza. Red is an important color at New Years. I was told that it scares the monster away.
It was pretty cold last night when we went out so we had to bundle up.