Happy lunar new year

Today is the first day of the year. On the lunar calendar, of course. I didn’t learn about this calendar and how hugely the new year is still celebrated in parts of the world until after I arrived in China in the 1980s.

And ever since then, I’ve appreciated the chance to start the year all over again! Hehe…

So, Happy Lunar New Year! Often called the Chinese New Year, I prefer to be more inclusive, since traditionally it’s also celebrated in Vietnam and Korea.

Lunar New Year wish

When I found out that this coming year under the lunar calendar was the year of the tiger, it immediately brought back to mind an old advertisement, probably from the 1960s.

I’ve never been a big fan of ads in any form and have long actively avoided seeing them. I even stopped listening to the radio and watching television way back in the 1970s so I could avoid their insulting and mind-numbing commercials. These days billboards and now internet ads are hard to miss. Ugh.

Yet despite that, there are always a few jingles or tag lines that sneak into my subconscious and stick, like a nasty earworm. And one such ad has now surfaced from my hidden brain files… and I think it’s SO apt for this coming year… the old Esso gasoline ad that implored car owners to Put a Tiger in Your Tank!

How’s that for the perfect metaphor to give us added strength and courage after (in some ways) crappy year (read: ongoing pandemic, political divisiveness, climate catastrophes, health challenges, etc).

So yeah, if you could use that extra boost of something to get through the next months, put a tiger in your tank. I will. And have a great new year.

Do you celebrate the lunar new year? If so, how?

Do you remember this ad?

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10 comments

Leave a Reply to Francisca Cancel reply

  • Hello Francisca
    Thank you for your wishes. We do celebrate Lunar New Year, having lived quite many years in Hong Kong and China. And my son-in-law’s grand-mother was born and grew up in Vietnam…

    Great ! We need a few tigers here !… Pandemia attacked the whole house, starting with grand-children, then my daughter and her husband…- and me too (I was sooo sure te be totally protected by the vaccines, and I cooked meals for the family…)
    All is much better, we finally celebrated the Spring Festival with a little delay…..
    Now I need to put a strong Tiger in my tank to help me recovering my usual energy, quite low at the moment.

    I send you much love and hugs….

    • Oh dear… sorry to hear you all were hit by covid, Mireille, and glad the worst is over. Hope the strong energy returns soon… for both of us, as I’m feeling quite depleted, too. Grosses bises 😘😘

  • I remember this old Esso ad so well.

    Yes, put a tiger in your tank!!!
    and roar into 2022 with strength, energy and
    all the best intentions to change for the better.

    Happy Lunar New Year, Ciscs and Lordson.

  • Hi Tiger–yes, I believe your tank will fill up nicely this year, and you will be steaming along. Kung Hei Fat Choi. Or whatever dialect you prefer.

    • Cantonese, of course, Jill… Not only is my honey Cantonese, they first came up with the expression, kung hei fat choi (congrats on making money = wish you prosperity and wealth). Similarly, dai gut dai lei (big luck big benefit = wish you luck and prosperity)! Wish you all that and more! 🏮🥳🌸

  • I do celebrate the lunar new year, but I do it in the Sept. – Oct. timeframe. It’s called Rosh Hashana. 🤣 I suppose many, many cultures have lunar new years, but as it is lunar and not tied to the sun or the seasons, I’m also sure they pick different times of year that are meaningful to them to put it in. In fact, we Jews like New Years so much that we actually have four of them every year 😊:
    https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/how-many-jewish-new-years/

    Yes I remember the commercial. And, yes, now would be the perfect time for a tiger in the tank. As long as it’s a friendly one. 💜

    • I was going to mention the Jewish also use a lunar calendar (and there are others), then I found out the Hebrew calendar is in fact lunisolar, and that got a bit too complicated for this simple, quick post of mine. I had no idea about the four new year celebrations in your culture, Lable, and I thank you for sharing that. So here’s wishing you a friendly tiger in your tank… any time you need one! 🥳💜

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