Lunar New Year A'Twirl

Gong hay fat choy!  Gong xi fa cai!  Chúc mừng năm mới!  Today is the first day of the new year on the lunar calendar, and as such, for Asians like me who celebrate, today is a day to wish happy new year and tidings for good health and prosperity.  Traditional superstition carries a lot of auspicious weight to this day, which is supposed to set the tone for the rest of the year.  And this year carries an extra bit of specialty, because it is the year of my Chinese zodiac sign, the rat!  Interestingly, the year of your own sign is not necessarily a lucky year, and people are warned to exercise caution and not take risks or behave haphazardly.  Whether you believe in this or not is up to you.  It's still fun to celebrate the new year, though, and if you are, I wish you blessings for the year!

(In the meantime, here are a few photos from Mulan's Lunar New Year Procession.)