<div dir="ltr">Hello, my wonderful AAA big family! <br><div style="text-align:center"><b><font color="#ff0000" size="6">HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR! </font></b></div><b><div style="text-align:center"><b><font color="#ff0000" size="6">新年快樂，恭喜發財，萬事如意，心想事成！</font></b></div>
</b><div style="text-align:center"><b>Xin Nian Kuai Le, Gong Xi Fa Cai, Wan Shi Ru Yi, Xin Xiang Shi Cheng!</b></div><div><div style="text-align:center"><b>Happy lunar new year, good fortune, may you be prosperous, and have your dreams come true!</b></div>
<div style="text-align:center"><b><font color="#ff0000" size="6">馬年快樂，馬到成功！</font></b></div><div style="text-align:center"><b>Ma Nian Kuai Le, Ma Dao Cheng Gong!</b></div><div style="text-align:center"><b>Happy year of the horse, and wish you immediate success!</b></div>
<div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="cid:ii_143e373daff20a47" alt="Inline image 1" width="420" height="420"></div><div><br></div><div>For those of you who don't know, here's a little background. Celebrated by most Asian countries, the Lunar New Year celebrates the coming of the first day of the agricultural new year, which happens to be <b>January 31</b>. The holiday is celebrated for <b>15 days</b>, with special and meaningful traditions on every day. This year is the <b>year of the Horse.</b></div>
<div><br></div><div><b>Here's a list of the popular traditions during CNY:</b></div><div><b>Family Dinner:</b> On CNY eve, the family congregates together and eats a plentiful feast for dinner</div><div><b>Shou Shui:</b> "Keep watch of the new year." Everyone stays awake and counts down until midnight.</div>
<div><b>Firecrackers and Fireworks:</b> at midnight, firecrackers are set off all over the place to bring in the new year. Legend goes that there used to be an evil beast called "Year" who came every CNY. Firecrackers were set off to scare away "Year." Afterwards, people set off firecrackers in general to ward off evil.</div>
<div><b>Red Packets:</b> The Chinese New Year is a time for members of younger generations to show their filial respect, greet their elders, and wish them happy new year, good fortune, and good health. In return, the elders give red envelopes filled with money to the younger children of the family. The red packets suppress evil from the children, and keep the children happy and long living.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Spring semester is almost starting, and I can't wait to see everyone back on campus! Hope you guys take some time today to wish your families and friends a happy lunar new year!</div><div><div><br>
</div>-- <br><div dir="ltr">Kristen Wu<div>
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Class of 2016</div><div><br></div></div>
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