Today, marks the beginning of the Year of The Pig and the celebration of Chinese New Year (or as its called here in China, the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival). Its closest Western equivalent is the mix of Christmas and New Years that occurs between Dec 24th and Jan 1st: Family dinners, gift giving, parties, the making of wishes, candy eating, food, decorations, parades, and fireworks. It is the most important holiday in the Chinese culture.

I’ll post some photos in the next couple of days. In the mean time, for those afraid that American culture hasn’t quite reached around the entire globe just yet, see the “traditional” gift giving envelope I received the other day…Dohh!!

(click the photo to see a larger version)