May You Have Fish

There is a lucky phrase in Chinese that people say to each other during Chinese (Lunar) New Year. A translation to English could be: "May you have 'fish' year after year."

The word "fish" in Chinese is a homophone - it has a ton of different meanings (with a different character for each meaning) but the same pronunciation (i.e., yu2). Two of the meanings of yu2 are "fish" and "surplus". (So of course, the real meaning is "May you have surplus/excess each year.")

As a play on words, I used a gorgeous goldfish stamp for the Chinese New Year cards I made for family and friends. I painstakingly colored in the image with sharp-tipped markers.

Traditionally, children receive lucky red envelopes containing money from their elders during the festivities, which often go on for five to ten days. Just for fun, I put a very nominal amount in each card, in keeping with tradition.

I was really fortunate this year to be able to spend the new year with family in Taiwan. We had a wonderful time, and I enjoyed spending time with extended family, since I don't see them often.