FIRE PIG!

Yes, more than 1 out of 4 Thai people are of Chinese descent so there have been many festivities in Lampang this weekend. Actually, this is just the beginning of the festival which will last about 15 days. Saturday was new years eve and we could see so many people wearing red as a symbol of good luck. There were also copious amounts of firecrackers going off for 10-minute intervals. It's deafening! Lots of red lanterns and decorations all over town. We got to see some performances at our little student Jenny's school and then on Friday all of our students participated in the new years party. We got to eat dumplings and steamed chinese desserts and drink tea. It's been a blast!

For those of you who want to know more about Chinese astrology, here's some info I copied:

Welcome to the Year of the Fire Pig!

The Chinese New Year, also called the Spring Festival, is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. Calculated according to precise astrological observations, it essentially is the second New Moon after the Winter Solstice and is always named after an animal in the Chinese Zodiac paired with one of the traditional five Chinese elements.

The Year of the Fire Pig begins on February 18 and will be observed all around the world by a 15-day celebration including colorful parades, fireworks, family reunions, and sumptuous meals.

Chinese astrologers predict that this will be an unstable year filled with conflict, because the Pig is a water sign, and water is incompatible with fire. Many people will experience sweeping changes, but there will be plenty of opportunity for prosperity for those who are able to meet the challenges and find a place of inner calm.