ขออวยพรให้คุณมีความสุขและความเจริญรุ่งเรือง

Wishing you prosperity, health, and joy in the new year!

Dancing into the Lunar New Year like sugar - BTW, Gabe made this :)

Some may wonder why we celebrate this holiday. One reason is that Jangela’s mom (Gabe’s grandmother) is from Thailand, and her mother was Chinese – which is why the Lunar New Year holiday – also called “Chinese New Year,” Seollal (Korean), Tet (Vietnamese), or the “Spring Festival” is a holiday celebrated in our home. However, the main reason has more to do with the Thai-Chinese community that Jangela’s mother was a part of during their time in California. Jangela and her brother grew up celebrating this holiday, and their mom continued to put up Lunar New Year decorations long after they moved. Jangela has many memories of receiving red envelopes, eating dumplings, and visiting family and friends during the Lunar New Year. She, Todd, and Gabe have continued these traditions as a family.

In China, Lunar New Year is a 15-day festival marking the start of a new year. However, in Thailand, it’s typically celebrated only for three days. It is customary for children, family, and close friends to get oranges, sweets, gifts, and little red envelopes with money for the Lunar New Year (all for good luck). So many New Year traditions are associated with letting go of the old and welcoming the new (ridding bad luck and making room for good). In our home, there is lots of cleaning leading up to NYE! We also decorate and observe other auspicious activities, from eating “lucky” food to wearing red on New Year’s Day. If you’d like to learn more about the origins of the Lunar New Year, how it’s celebrated worldwide - and the different traditions - Wikipedia has a comprehensive write-up (skip to the sections that interest you).

Year of the Wood Snake: Jan. 29, 2025 - Feb. 12 2026

A Year of Bold, Balanced Transformation

The Chinese zodiac is a 12-year cycle that links each year to an animal sign. The 12 animal signs are Rat (shu 鼠), Ox (niu 牛), Tiger (hu 虎), Rabbit (tu 兔), Dragon (long 龍), Snake (she 蛇), Horse (ma 馬), Sheep (yang 羊), Monkey (hou 猴), Rooster (ji 雞), Dog (gou 狗) and Pig (zhu 豬). The order of the animal signs is fixed, with the Snake being sixth in the cycle, hence the Year of the Snake (shennian 蛇年) in 2025. Last year, 2024, was the Year of the Dragon (longnian 龍年) and 2026 is the Year of the Horse (manian 馬年). Each year also corresponds to one of the five basic elements (wuxing 五行) in Chinese cosmology, namely Metal (jin 金), Wood (mu 木), Water (shui 水), Fire (huo 火) or Earth (tu 土), creating a 60-year cycle.

Also forming the sexagenary cycle are the ten Heavenly Stems (tiangan 天干) and twelve Earthly Branches (dizhi 地支), each possessing different attributes. In 2025, the Heavenly Stem is Yi 乙, representing Wood, while the Earthly Branch is Si 巳, representing Fire, thus establishing the year of Yisi 乙巳. Therefore, individuals born in 2025 may be called ‘Wood Snake’ or ‘Fire Snake’ or ‘Wood Fire Snake’. The five elements interact with one another in a cyclical manner; as a result, Wood gives rise to Fire. This interconnectedness results in the Wood Snake exhibiting a notably complex personality, embodying traits of both Wood and Fire.

The Chinese astrological landscape of 2025 is marked by profound transformation, emotional depth, and innovative progress, shaped by the yīn wood snake energies. It’s a year that invites reflection, adaptability, and intentional growth. So, what should you aim for this year?

Let go of the past gracefully and remain flexible as you adapt to new realities. Prioritize your self-care, set healthy boundaries, and trust your intuitive insights. Reassess your relationships with others and align them with your values (which requires you to do the work to understand your true nature and values). Pair your visionary ideas with practical strategies to turn your dreams into tangible progress. Stay open to innovation and welcome technological advancements and unconventional solutions, but be discerning about their implications.

2025 is a year of renewal and redefinition. By aligning with its transformative energies, you can navigate the coming changes with grace and emerge more assertive, resilient, and deeply connected to your purpose.

If you are interested in learning more about 2025 or Chinese Astrology, check out the links to the right!

Moving into 2025, the year of the yin wood snake invites a retrospective. Gabe was born 10 years ago (WOW). Ruby joined the family a few months before his arrival. Jangela and Todd had their Buddhist wedding ceremony in Thailand 11 years ago. There have been so many beginnings and so much transformation!

In 2024, the year of the yang wood dragon, Gabe continued storyboarding and making films. He did theater camps with Arena Stage in DC and his favorite production camp in Martha's Vineyard - where he had a lead singing role. His ambition to be the next Steven Speilberg and direct the next JAWs is strong. He continues to work on film between skateboarding, baseball, and air guitar - although he starts electric guitar lessons soon.

Ruby is still trying to find creative ways to get to the compost (and succeeding). We had a fun night the day after Boxing Day when she successfully got to the turkey carcass and dragged it upstairs to the office for a feast. FUN. She will be 84 in dog years in 2025.

Todd still has the cool job and Jangela is still the contractor. Jangela remains committed to caring for her family and finding time to create art, focused on using upcycled, thrifted materials. Todd continues to cook fantastic meals, walk EVERYWHERE, and is committed to using stories and food to impact lives.

In the spirit of the wood snake, the entire family is committed to shedding what no longer serves us and slowing down to be more present. We are sending so much love and gratitude to our family and friends- this year, every year, and every day!