Lunar New Year 2007

Lunar New Year 18 February 2007 Around the world, people from the "chopsticks countries" were celebrating the Lunar New Year, starting on 18 February 2007. New Year's Eve sees the world's largest migration as more than 100 million Chinese people head to their home villages to eat a reunion dinner with family. This is the beginning of the Year of the Pig following the Year of the Dog.

Buying gold can be an important part of the New Year preparations. This shop has chairs out for the customers. The markets were busy the week before the new year. Flowers and oranges are essential for decorating the homes and offices. In Chinese culture, branches from a peach tree are a preferred decoration. Here a yellow-flowered branch is used. Small orange or tangerine trees are a favored decoration or gift when visiting friends and relatives. On the back of his motorcycle, this man has a roast pig for his family's reunion dinner, the most important night of the year for those celebrating the new year. Once the marketing is done for the living, families don't forget the spirits and the dead and burn offerings for them, especially imitation gold and money. Something I never saw in Hong Kong is the use of these long poles of what I think is sugar cane. On the second day of the new year, hundreds of these were being brought from the provinces. The poor people hop on their motorcycles for the trip to the provinces. The rich people make the trip in accustomed style.

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