Every year I’m in Shanghai for Chinese New Year I half look earnest to it, half fear it. The looking forward function is easy – the city empties out, people are happy and feeling jovial, the decorations are up and it’s fun to see a whole place array up for the biggest holiday of the year – especially when you’ve already done your celebrating so you don’t feel the pressure to cook a turkey or buy one more Christmas present. I have that happy – I’m-done-with-my-holiday-and-I-happily-gawk-as-you-enjoy-yours feeling.

The fear part comes this evening as the fireworks begin at 11:45 and don’t stop until the fifteenth day of the lunar new year. Hmm, let’s see, that’s February 28^th! All right, I’m exaggerating a little bit however they really do seem to go on and attached. I have no issue with the pretty roman candles exploding into the sky – it’s the truckloads of red firecrackers that just when you think you can sleep, seem to go off right outside your window.

Chinese legend has it that demons are scared off by the loud noises, the cracking sound, the color red and smoke. Mix that all together and you’ve got China’s population’s weight in firecrackers going off from 11:45 tonight until the wee hours. No demons coming this way tonight!

Happy New Year China and Welcome the Year of the Tiger!

Photo: A new year decoration in Shanghai’s Yu Garden. 2009 Sara Naumann, licensed to About.com.

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