"xin nian kuai le"

The phrase literally means “Happy New Year.” But in Hong Kong and other Cantonese-speaking regions, it's more common to say “gong hei fat choy.” In Mandarin Chinese, it's “gong xi fa cai” (恭喜发财). It means “congratulations on the fortune.”

In China, you'll hear it being called chunjie (春节), or the Spring Festival. It’s still very wintry, but the holiday marks the end of the coldest days. People welcome spring and what it brings along: planting and harvests, new beginnings and fresh starts.

Nope, he is just an elf...or alien...always trying to get away from my pictures but I managed to get this one.

You know those nosy relatives during Thanksgiving? It's even worse in China. Especially since having children and passing down the family name is one of the most important parts of Chinese culture.

Some desperate singles resort to hiring a fake boyfriend or girlfriend to take home. Those who can’t (or don’t want to) go home can rent themselves out. For some of the other questions though, such as your salary, career or when you want to have kids, can’t be helped.

This year the Chinese zodiac is the rat. It is said that your zodiac year is unlucky for you. So here are a few years when it was the Year of the Rat, so be extra cautious: 1948, 1960,1972, 1984, 1996. Here are some things to keep in mind:

Lucky things for Rats:
Colors: blue, gold, green
Numbers: 2, 3
Flowers: lily, African violet, valley lily
Directions of auspiciousness: southeast, northeast
Directions of wealth: southeast, east
Directions of love: west

Unlucky things
Colors: yellow, brown
Numbers: 5, 9