See Ya, Kitchen God!

The girls and I had a mini Chinese New Year celebration last night. It was many hours early, but the way we looked at it (and the clock) it was already the new year back in China.

A couple weeks ago, Rachel and Sarah colored a picture of the Kitchen God, signed it, and posted it on the refrigerator. According to legend, the Kitchen God hangs out and makes note of all the goings on of the family throughout the year. A few days before the new year, the Kitchen God ascends to heaven in smoke and informs the ancestors of your behavior throughout the year.

We were late in releasing the Kitchen God to heaven, but he got there before midnight. Around 8 pm, the girls and I gathered with the Kitchen God, and burned him in the laundry room sink. I’m sure the ancestors will hear a bad report, because we didn’t do incense, offer fruit, or burn joss money either. (Although I have some of that around here somewhere.) Frankly, I was more concerned with not setting the house on fire or setting off the smoke alarms.

After we helped the Kitchen God ascend, the girls and I took some poppers left over from the 4th of July and made firecrackery noises in the driveway. In the dark. In 19 degree weather. Without our coats on. Two little Chinese kids and one big German woman yelling “Gong Si! Gong Si!” in the alley driveway and setting off fireworks.

We are SO lucky we have tolerant neighbors.

It was fun. The kids were so excited to have their own family new year celebration. I think we’ll have to keep building on those traditions. It’s fun for me too — a holiday with no strings (or history) attached.