Thursday, February 26, 2009 ;
10:51 PM
Today is a special day in the Chinese calendar and they are lighting fireworks and firecrackers again.
My ayi told me it is the 2nd day of the 2nd month, and everyone has to go and get a new haircut. She urged me to bring the boys. No wonder the hair salon was so crowded at noon today when I went out to pick ds2 from the bus stop.
The boys do need a haircut but I am too lazy to queue so they'll get it cut another day.
Recall I mentioned the 24 节气 before? It is now the 雨水 jie qi.
It is quite accurate. Last week and this week saw a lot more precipitation, in the form of snow and rain, and sleet/ slush, whatever you call it.
I heard a lot of sayings too, besides the occasion for cutting hair.
They say we need to avoid eating mutton or dog meat during this jieqi. Avoid oily fatty food in general and take more red dates, lotus seeds, honey, sugarcane, spinach and so on.
This is the chinese version of the things people do on this day, taken from this website:
http://weather.com.cn/static/html/article/20090213/24313.shtml
The Northerners' Beliefs (where my ayi is from and where Tianjin is):
按照北方地区的旧俗，这一天，人人都要理发，意味着“龙抬头”走好运，给小孩理发叫“剃龙头”；妇女不许动针线，恐伤“龙睛”；人们也不能从水井里挑水， 要在头一天就将自家的水瓮挑得满满当当，否则就触动了“龙头”。普通人家在这一天要吃面条、春饼、爆玉米花、猪头肉等，不同地域有不同的吃食，但大都与龙 有关，普遍把食品名称加上“龙”的头衔，如吃水饺叫吃“龙耳”；吃春饼叫吃“龙鳞”；吃面条叫吃“龙须”；吃米饭叫吃“龙子”；吃馄饨叫吃“龙眼”。
Point form translation:
1. have new haircut
2. cannot use needle/thread (for fear of piercing the dragon's eyes)
3. cannot draw water from well
4. eat noodles, popcorn, meat from the pig head? and anything that resembles or is related to dragons
rainbows every day, do not worry for the morrow
____________________________________________________________
