This post was sponsored by Ling Ling, all opinions expressed in my post are my own. #LingLingAsian #LL AD
Down here in South Texas we don’t hear a lot about the Chinese New Year. We know it is happening but, at least my family, does not really know a lot about why it happens and what it is. Unlike our American New Year, where we have a set day to turn the year over, Chinese New Year varies. In 2019, the year of the pig will be celebrated on February 5th! To help my children get excited about learning about another culture, I brushed up a little myself. I learned that single people – like me – hire fake boyfriends and girlfriends to take home to mom. That the day is used to pray to the gods and to fight off monsters , children receive money in ‘red packets’ and that the Chinese New Year ends with a Chinese Lantern Festival. I also learned that you are supposed to eat dumplings at every meal! Now, I can’t do the every meal requirement, but in the interest of having my children understand a little more, I can do Ling Ling Potstickers!
The Good Luck Food
In the US we eat black eyed peas and cabbage as a New Year’s Tradition. At lease we do around here. But during the Chinese New Year, and the 15 day Spring Festival that surrounds it, you are supposed to eat the same meal every day for every meal. Dumplings. I don’t see my kids letting me do that but Ling Ling Potstickers certainly allow it to be a tempting idea!
I L O V E these because they are easy to make, come with their own sauce and let me introduce a new tradition easily! Ling Ling provides authentic Asian recipes bursting with flavor. They are high quality, have clean ingredients like freshly sourced vegetables and savory proteins and are a perfect way for me to get the Asian flavor I want without take-out.
I buy the Chicken and Vegetable and the Pork and Vegetable Dumplings because I can not decide which is my favorite. These make in one pan and each come with their own savory dipping sauce. Talk about an easy way to start the celebration!
The Red Packet
I actually have a red packet that I got years ago from a friend. I am not sure why I hung onto it but now I am glad I did! Now I can use it to show that this is a time honored tradition, meant to simulate the wealth being passed from the elder to the youth.
My kids won’t be getting 100 dollar bills but it may motivate them to keep their rooms a little cleaner!
The Lantern Festival
The Lantern Festival is a time honored tradition generally ending the festivities. It is also known as Valentine’s Day in China because it was once the only day that young women could venture out alone.
To further the conversation, the kids and I made some really simple construction paper lanterns to simulate the festival! We will hand them in their rooms as a daily reminder of the celebration that happens halfway around the world!
Starting a new family tradition with the education of another culture is just fun! It is educational – for me too – without being boring and it let’s my girls dream of other parts of the world they don’t hear about every day! Who knows, maybe one day they will be in China for the Chinese New Year and will remember these little facts from home!
Have you found Ling Ling in your supermarket frozen aisles? They really are delicious!
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