The first day of Chinese New Year burst into life amid a blaze of beautiful fireworks in Beijing.
2012 is the year of the Dragon, to be precise the water dragon. The Dragon is a mythical and terrifying creature. It is belived to be a sign of good fortune and intense power in the east. A divine creature to be honoured and respected. A far cry from the western world storybook monster.
A water dragon occurs every 60 years. Two thirds of our world and indeed 95% of our bodies comprise water. It is life and we cannot be without it. In myhtology water produces wood, which signifies growth. Water dragons are also associated with thunder and lightning, arousal and creativity at its best.
To celebrate this special time chinese families eat dumplings, clean their houses, share with their friends and let off thousands of fire-crackers. They decorate with lights and hang red and gold paper containing messages of good fortune from their doors. Red is lucky and is supposed to frighten monster 'Nian' thought to come on New Years eve. Gold signifies wealth.
We have a thriving chinese community in Northampton and a wealth of fantastic restaurants and takeaways. A few of my favourites:
Felix Yu - Castilian Street
Jade Oriental Garden - Kettering Rd
Finest Cuisine - St Leonards Rd
Sunrise - Kingsley Park Terrace
We want to find the VERY best Asian restaurants and takeaways in Northampton. We'd love to hear from you, who do you love and why?
You can email me at vicki@thebestof.co.uk or recommend on the site:
http://www.thebestof.co.uk/local/northampton
