It's time ... Let's celebrate Chinese New Year

It's time ...  Let's celebrate Chinese New Year at Terra Americana
Sunday February 10th rings in the year of the snake.  It is characterized by “mystery, acumen and divination. In some places, people believe that a snake found in their court can bring delight.”

So let’s delight and celebrate.  We will be open;

  • Thursdays – February 14th and 21st  - from 10am until 6pm
  • Saturdays  - February 16th and 23rd   - from 9am until 2pm

Make a small donation to the Food Pantry and we will give you 50% off your entire purchase.

This spring I am privileged to have another opportunity to sojourn to the land of the Middle Kingdom.  To make things easier on the people holding down the fort, our showroom will only be open by appointment.  We will reopen for regular Thursday and Saturday hours on June 1st.   

I will be keeping in touch while away, if you can follow my adventures in China here.

 

These are some simple, yet sensational recipes for celebrating.

·        Braised Abalone with mushrooms and green onions

·        Chung Yao Beng - Chinese Flat Bread

·        Veggie Rice

·        Spicy Chinese Long Beans with peanuts

·        Shanghai cucumber salad - 拍黃瓜

 

Happy New Year!

 

More on the Year of the Snake from Centaine Feng Shui

Traditionally, it is considered good luck to greet people on the first day of the Chinese New Year with a friendly “Happy New Year”, or “Kung Hei Fat Choy (Gong Xi Fa Cai)", which means "congratulations on getting rich".

Looking at the Chinese Astrology for 2013, the key elements of the year qi (energy) are (Gui) water sitting on (Si) fire.   In the Wu Xing cycle of elements, water controls fire, however the fire element of 2013 can certainly heat up the water qi in the process and this indicates major storms are more likely to occur in the annual weather patterns.

The yin water element of the year is associated with intelligence, innovation, intuition, inventiveness, inner tension, secretive and hidden plans, the kidneys, bladder, reproductive organs and hearing. The yin fire element of the Snake year connects with illumination, entertainment, cunning, fire, electricity, reactive energy, the heart, vision and fever.

It’s always helpful to look back in order to prepare for the next move forward and we can do this by examining the main news facts of 1953, which was the previous Gui Si (Water Snake) year. Some interesting highlights from that year were the prominence of Iran and North Korea in the news, new scientific discoveries relating to DNA and the Polio Vaccine, the crowning of Queen Elizabeth, significant floods, storms and hurricanes across Europe and the USA and the successful conquest of Mt Everest by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.

  


Time to take it all down.... We need your help!

Charlie....

Winter gets away from me....After the holiday madness, the new year comes and I collapse.  I no longer know what day it is and for at least a month I walk around in a Zombie like state.

February is almost here and the time has come to break free from this reverie, say good bye to the Yule Tide and hello to longer days and warmer weather.

This Saturday, 2/1 we will be open from  10am to 3pm for pre ground hog day celebrations.

You'll find us packing up the glitter and garland.  Come for a cup of cheer and lend a hand.  We will pay you with a $5 store credit and some dip mixes to enjoy during the big game!

Veggie bulbs

Here are some great recipes to help celebrate the Superbowl;

 Photo Credit: Julie Cecchini