What is your animal sign?

A complete cycle of the Chinese Lunar Calendar takes 60 years and is made up of five cycles of 12 years each. Each year is named after one of 12 symbolic animals. And on the 18th of February 2007, it is the Year of the Pig.

"The Chinese believe that the animal ruling the year in which the person is born has a profound influence on personality… this is the animal that hides in your heart". I was born in the Year of the Rabbit and that gives an estimate of my age. For the faithful followers of this columnist whose real age remains a state hush-hush, you may secretly refer to the year you were born. Because honesty, ahem, is still the best policy and your fortunes might be altered if you claim the wrong animal! China has five centuries of recorded history and perhaps another five centuries of oral history to authenticate their claims to this horoscope. (www.new-year.co.uk/chinese/calendar.htm).

Kung Hei Fat Choi is the greeting you may hear during this season and in Cantonese, it means "Congratulations and Be Prosperous." One billion three hundred million Chinese and a few more millions of Koreans, Mongolians, Vietnamese, Singaporeans, and people (including Cebuanos) of Chinese ancestry will celebrate the first day of the first lunar month, which is also known as the Spring Festival. Part of me is Chinese (12.5%) since my maternal grand father was Tan Bong Ko (never met my ancestor, not even a picture, maybe problems of legitimacy) from Ormoc. Years of affiliation with the Gaw and Chan families had completed my coaching into Chinese culture and I am proud of my heritage and blood links to the Middle Kingdom.

And when there are celebrations, food is always present and probably more food is consumed during the New Year celebrations than anytime of the year. With the sight, sound and smell of food, your favorite food columnist seems to be only inches away!

Many of the dishes and delicacies that are prepared during this period are served because they are regarded as symbols of prosperity. Some ingredients that are symbolic with good fortune are used like uncut noodles (longevity), gingko nuts (silver ingots), red jujube (opulence), mandarin oranges (wealth and good fortune), rou wan or meatballs (symbolizing reunion) and lotus seed (male offsprings). For the Cantonese, black moss seaweed, a fresh water, hair-like vegetable called fat choy (lukot nga sun-dried) is de rigueur in their menu since it sounds like the greeting....kung hei fat choi. Yu Sheng (salad of raw fish) is popular among Chinese in Malaysia and Singapore since yu (symbol of long life and good fortune) is part of the common greeting for the New Year, nien nien you yi which is a homonym meaning to " have fish every year" or to be "prosperous every year".

Marco Polo Plaza ushered in the celebration of the most important of the traditional Chinese holiday with a Yee Shang Tossing Ceremony last February 5.

A giant iron wok (three meters ra!) was placed in the lobby with grated carrots and turnips inside. Twelve special guests were gathered around the wok and Chef Luke Gagnon set the ceremony in motion with the raw salmon and the rest of the ingredients.

Tradition dictates that a pair of chopsticks was to be used to toss the Yee Shang; but everything in Marco Polo Plaza is big and tall, hence only one chopstick (five meters tall!) could be used. And faithful to tradition since I discovered that part of me was Chinese, my only regret is that I have never received that coveted small red packet of money (called hung-pao or lay shee). Following an ancient custom, adults, particularly married ones, give this token to children, employees and servants during this most auspicious occasion.