Chinese in Niagara Falls ON

Culture is a fabric woven from the yarns of tradition, beliefs and values. The fabric may fade over time as well as be altered when fashioned or worn by others. The fabric in this post is bleached white . . . White is a colour of sorrow. February 15 th : Anniversary of a Death – metal white. As a child, I did not wear white. I thought my mother did not dress us in white was because it was difficult to keep white clothing white. And it was. As an adult that has been my reason for avoiding white. Somewhere in between I learned that white in Chinese culture is not auspicious. It’s the colour of death and mourning. My mother must have known about this Chinese symbolism. After all, she had lived in China and Hong Kong for about 36 years before coming to Niagara Falls. When her mother died at the very old age of 102 in China, neither of my parents travelled back to China. Perhaps it was due to their age and frailties, or perhaps it was due to the expense....

Culture is a fabric woven from the yarns of tradition, beliefs and values. The fabric may fade over time as well as be altered when fashioned or worn by others. The fabric in this post is dyed red . . . Red is the colour of happiness. February 16 th : Chinese New Year - fire red. February 16 th begins the Year of the Dog. Each year, I have to look up the date of Chinese (Lunar) New Year as it changes from year to year: not hard to do since the advent of Google . In the time of my mother, she relied on her special Chinese calendars: red, stamped with auspicious gold symbols and if especially “authentic” featuring some folk character – an ancient with a long beard, flowing robes, standing slightly crooked over and supported by a staff; a pair of frolicking cherubs with hair gathered atop their heads into spiky pig tails; or some still-life involving carp, blossoms and a stylized hybrid fruit – not quite peaches but not persimmons either. Posted above ...

Culture is a fabric woven from the yarns of tradition, beliefs and values. The fabric may fade over time as well as be altered when fashioned or worn by others. The fabric in this post is dyed red . . . Red is the colour of happiness. February 14 th : Valentine’s Day  - rose red . I recall my first encounter with valentines as being in kindergarten (even though I had an older brother in school). It’s the lead-up to the day, and not the goods - pretty cards covered with red hearts and cut-out heart decorations glued to a paper collection bag – that linger in memory.  The kindergarten Valentine’s Day card process back then was similar to the practice that continues today: the teacher sends home a note that lists the names of all students in the class. If parents wish their child to participate, they buy, address, and send the cards to school with their child on the appointed date. I do not know the particulars of how my parents dealt with the ca...