{"id":10345,"date":"2014-12-31T11:42:20","date_gmt":"2014-12-31T16:42:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/?p=10345"},"modified":"2014-12-31T11:42:20","modified_gmt":"2014-12-31T16:42:20","slug":"the-year-of-the-yang","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.portlandmonthly.com\/portmag\/the-year-of-the-yang\/","title":{"rendered":"The Year of the Yang"},"content":{"rendered":"

Winterguide 2015 | view this story as a .pdf<\/a><\/p>\n

The Year of the What<\/em><\/strong>?
\nRing in the Chinese New Year February 19.<\/h3>\n

by Claire Z. Cramer<\/p>\n

\"WG15-Chinese-New-Year\"<\/a>First, the controversy. If you google Chinese New Year 2015<\/em>, you\u2019ll find the date it begins\u2013February 19. But its designated symbol? Among the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, the eighth symbol is a bit tricky. Its Chinese name is yang<\/em>, which translates to an assortment of cloven-hoofed ruminants. Just don\u2019t jump to conclusions and call them sheep.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough it symbolizes caring and compassion, many are afraid those born under the sheep<\/em> will prove too weak for a cruel, unforgiving world,\u201d according to Thehumanist.com.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one wants a baby born in\u2026the dreaded Year of the Sheep,\u201d according to the Washington Post<\/em>\u2019s Asia & Pacific correspondent William Wan. \u201cSheep are meek creatures\u2026 Babies\u2026will grow up to be followers rather than leaders.\u201d Wan provides evidence that some Chinese women are even making drastic contraception plans to avoid giving birth in 2015.<\/p>\n

But opinions vary. \u201cThe Year of the Sheep should be peaceful and [in] harmony,\u201d says Jing Zhang, director of Maine\u2019s Chinese Language and Culture Center (CLCC). \u201cIn the year, people will be very healthy and friendly; the weather will be warmer than other years; and farmers will have a very good harvest. I hope Chinese and American people will be even closer this year and do more together to make the world peaceful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lynne Eustis, assistant director of International Programs at the University of Maine Farmington, polled visiting Chinese faculty and students in residence there. \u201cMost agree we\u2019ll call it the Year of the Goat<\/em>. One professor offers this: \u2018The goat symbolizes such character traits as creativity, intelligence, dependability, and calmness\u2026 Goats enjoy being part of a group, but prefer the sidelines rather than the center.\u2019 Another professor suggests we go with the Chinese name, \u2018The Year of the Yang, because Yang can mean sheep, goat, ram, or lamb. Yang represents kindheartedness, peace, and fairness.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Year of the Ram<\/em> is also known as the year of the goat or sheep,\u201d says Cindy Han, of the Chinese and American Friendship Association of Maine (CAFAM)<\/strong>. \u201cThe Chinese word yang translates to any of those animals. We choose the ram because it sounds impressive.\u201d<\/p>\n

On to the Party<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cLions dance and ribbons twirl\u201d at CAFAM<\/strong>\u2019s festival is February 7 at the Westbrook Performing Arts Center, says Cindy Han. \u201cThere will be performances of traditional Chinese dance by students of the CAFAM Chinese school, plus music, martial arts, crafts, demonstrations, and a variety of delicious Chinese food.\u201d CAFAM claims to put on Maine\u2019s premier Chinese New Year celebration, and this year they\u2019re teaming up with the Confucius Institute at USM<\/strong> to host the event. Adults, $6; children, $4; 471 Stroudwater Street, Westbrook, westbrookpac.org\/cafam-chinese-new-year<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Lunar New Year begins February 19. It\u2019s traditionally celebrated for at least one week,\u201d says Han. \u201cCustoms range from lighting firecrackers to scare off evil spirits to gathering with family to eat foods that symbolize good fortune, including fish, dumplings, and sticky rice treats.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the University of Maine in Farmington<\/strong>, \u201cWe\u2019ll hold Chinese New Year events February 11 at the Olsen Student Center dining hall,\u201d says Lynne Eustis. \u201cIt\u2019s free and open to the public. Beyond delicious, traditional food prepared by our visiting Chinese professor and students, we\u2019ll have Chinese calligraphy, mahjong, paper-cutting, and painting displays along with traditional music.\u201d UMF is celebrating 25 years of exchanging students and faculty with schools in Beijing and Shanghai. \u201cThis year, Hui Liu from Beijing University of Technology [is in Farmington, teaching] Chinese language and culture classes.\u201d umf.maine.edu\/international\/news-and-events<\/p>\n

The Chinese Language & Culture Center of Maine<\/strong> will celebrate the new year February 8 at 53 Cumberland Street, Bangor; and February 28 at 340 County Road, Westbrook; with \u201ctraditional Chinese holiday food, performances, dragon dance, firecrackers, crafts, and door prizes,\u201d says Jing Zhang. There will be \u201ca Chinese New Year\u00a0 parade in Bangor with dragons, band, Chinese and American flags, and cars.\u201d bangorchinese.com<\/p>\n

Feast Day<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re celebrating at Bao Bao<\/strong> and at Tao Yuan<\/strong>,\u201d says chef Cara Stadler of her restaurants in Portland and Brunswick. \u201cChinese New Year is<\/em> dumplings, so at Bao Bao we\u2019re going to run special, fun ones we don\u2019t usually make\u2013from the 19th through the weekend. We\u2019ll celebrate on the 19th at Tao, and then on Sunday the 22nd\u2013which is when we serve formal, coursed family dinners from 4 p.m. from different regions of China\u2013we\u2019ll incorporate the Chinese New Year celebration.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCome see us,\u201d says manager Tiffany Tang at the Golden Lotus<\/strong> on Congress Street. No matter your zodiac, \u201cYou\u2019ll love our special menu.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Winterguide 2015
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