Jeanny Ho, 53, served as chairwoman of D.C.’s Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration. The Year of the Rat began Feb. 7.
What is the Chinese New Year?
We based it on Lunar New Year, which is 4706 this year.
Have the Chinese been keeping a calendar for nearly 5,000 years?
It could be even before. But 4706, that makes you and me feel really young.
I understand it’s the Year of the Rat. What does that mean?
That means that the person born in the Year of the Rat is supposed to be really smart and intelligent and goal-oriented. And they are really perfectionists. As a result, they are really good with finances. Many are the primary caregivers of the family.
Is that true? Are your Year of the Rat friends smart and need perfection?
Some in my own family do have ambition and goals and they’re really loyal, therefore they take care of family. My niece, who is born in the Year of the Rat, is a perfect example. She’s young but she’s taking responsibility for her family, including her parents.
How do you celebrate Chinese New Year?
You start by cleaning the house so you can have good luck and fortune.
On the Chinese New Year night, you visit parents and elderly people, and they give out red envelopes. The envelopes have money in them, called ‘luck money.” I like that tradition. It’s a time for family. It’s really a family reunion.
How big is D.C.’s Chinese population? How does that compare with other U.S. cities?
The population here in D.C. is not that many. Three percent is Asian, with the largest being the Chinese at about 7,000 or 8,000. But the metropolitan area has about 400,000 Asians.
