On New Year's Day everyone gets up early. Young people (my nieces above) get bundled up and head out to pay their respects and wish a happy new year to their elders. The very young will receive a little money for their respect. The not so young, like me, just get tasty treats and some fun conversation. Older people also get up early and make sure they have a good supply of treats on hand in order to feed the well wishers.
New Year's is a great time but there is also a serious problem with it. Every year the Chinese hospitals report record numbers of eye injuries and burns due to fireworks. This year I also witnessed some fun gone awry.
My father-in-laaw (foreground) and I witnessed a fire outside the neighbors house. At lunch tiime everyone sets off firecrackers (small bombs). The neighbor family was a little careless and their firewood caught on fire. Luckily nobody was injured. The whole neighborhood turned out to help put out the fire and by supper time the mess waas all cleaned up with the salvageable firewood neatly restacked. This type of warmth for one's fellow man is really the true meaning of the New Year's holiday.
Apple and my niece show that they too understand that love is the most important part of the holiday.
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