Tomorrow isn’t just Valentine’s Day…it’s also the Chinese New Year (it falls on Feb. 3 in 2011!)  Make sure that you start the new lunar calendar with these good luck charms for a long and prosperous year:

1. Traditional Family Dinner – family comes from all around to celebrate the New Year together.  After dinner the red envelopes are given out.
2. Red Envelopes – gifted to newly weds and elders to singles and children, common tradition to gift red envelops containing chocolate coins or cash.  $6/$8 are considered very lucky numbers, wishing a smooth and wealthy year, respectively.  Also, the amount given, determined by the 1st digit ($80 is even, $700 considered odd…), is always even, as even digit numbers are considered lucky.
3. Red Underwear – get your red underwear out!  The color red is commonly worn in an attempt to scare away evil spirits and bad fortune.  New clothes symbolize having enough to wear new beginnings.  { Victoria Secret’s Coupon FREE Panties }

*Chinese New Year lasts 15 days.

Chinese Astrology Sign {Sheng Xiao}

Figure out what your Chinese zodiac sign reveals about you, determined by your birth year.  Those born this year of the Tiger.

How the Chinese Zodiac Came to Be:

When it came time for the Jade Emperor in heaven to decide the order of the zodiac, he invited all the animals to participate in a race. The order of the zodiac would be decided by the order in which animals finished the race.

When the competition started, the ox was leading the pack, but the rat jumped on his back. Since the rat was so light and small, the ox did not realize that the rat was hitching a ride. As the ox approached the finish line, the rat leap off his back and was crowned as the first animal to complete the race.

After all the creatures finished the race, the order was finalized: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.

My Chinese Zodiac is the Rat:

Check out snippets of my fairly [VERY] accurate profile:

Personality: Occupying the 1st and most prominent position on the Chinese Zodiac, the Rat symbolizes such character traits as wit, imagination and curiosity. Rats have keen observation skills and with those skills they’re able to deduce much about other people and other situations. Overall, Rats are full of energy, talkative and charming but they have a tendency to become aggressive.

Rats are full of good advice but they will never share their troubles with others. They are honest individuals and they enjoy living for the moment. They’re also capable of surviving any situation.

Routine halts their creativity so Rats need flexible positions that allow creativity.

Not nearly as self-confident as they appear on the surface, Wood Rats [based on the year you were born] will never expose this vulnerability to others. They’re successful despite their perpetual fear of failing.

*I’ll buy that!

Chinese New Year Crafts and Activities

Martha Stewart’s Chinese New Year Show this year. Or last year’s resources on Chinese New Year Table Settings.

Pingg’s Chinese New Year ecards

Crayola is also offering their online community these incredibly cute crafts: