Halo happy viewers! Happy Lunar New Year! The Lunar New Year in 2011 falls on February 3 of the solar calendar, which is tomorrow. Millions of people will celebrate in Asian communities throughout the world. Kids love the Lunar New Year, because it’s a festive time to spend with family and friends.

Today, our young correspondents from seven locations are going to introduce some of their favorite Lunar New Year traditional activities and games, and share what they wish for in the coming year!

Our first stop is China, where four of our young friends are about to decorate the house. By the way, they all happen to be vegans.

The Lunar New Year is almost here. Let’s decorate our house!

Yeah!

Who will arrange the balloons?

Me, me!

Who will arrange the little bunnies? It’ll be the year of the Rabbit. Rabbits are vegans. What’s your wish for the New Year?

I wish to have a beautiful outfit.

What’s your wish for the New Year?

I wish my family will be happy.

Okay. Thank you.

What’s your wish for the New Year?

I wish to be one of the princesses in the Disney movies.

Thank you.

I wish to get along with my older brothers and sisters.

Okay. Thank you.

Tao Tao, how are you? It’ll be the Year of the Rabbit. What do you wish for the New Year?

I wish our family becomes happier.

To be happier, right?

Yes.

I wish I will be very sunny. And I wish to receive a balloon as gift.

I wish everyone on Earth will Be Veg, Go Green 2 Save the Planet!

If we still let animals shed blood, we will not have freedom, peace and harmony in our world. May all people love and protect little animals. Happy Year of the Rabbit! Yeah!

Now, let’s go to Singapore. Our friend is waving to his neighbor pals. They’re going to come over now to help decorate their home for the New Year, and to enjoy vegan New Year’s goodies as well. Let’s find out some more from our multilingual Singaporean veg friends.

Hi Xiao Hui Could you tell us about decorations in the Lunar New Year?

Yes, Xiao Zhi To welcome the Lunar New Year, Singaporeans would spring clean their houses and decorate their homes to create a festive atmosphere.

The favorite festive color is red. Red color is believed to be an auspicious color and symbolizes happiness, while gold symbolizes wealth.

Here is the red lantern and the decoratives.

We also hang auspicious Chinese wordings.

We have here auspicious Chinese word “Fu” which means “Blessing.”

Oh, Xiao Xian, why is the word “Fu” hung upside down?

Oh yes, the pronunciation of the word “upside down” in Mandarin is “Dao,” which sounds like “arrival” in Chinese. So hanging this “Blessing” word upside down means “Arrival of Blessing.”

Thank you, Xiao Xian. We also have Spring Couplets hang on both sides of our door.

Hi Xiao Long, what a nice couplet you have put up! What does it say?

Everything will go smoothly, and wealth will flow from all directions, every year. You’ll have a peaceful and blissful, long life, every year.

Thank you Xiao Long, for sharing with us this couplet.

Hi Xiao Hui, what a nice cutie rabbit.

Yes, the coming New Year is the Year of the Rabbit, so Rabbit is the favorite animal in the coming year.

This is the favorite auspicious legendary animal that looks like a lion. During Lunar New Years, lion dances are performed to bring good luck and prosperity.

Since Lunar New Year is coming soon, let’s have a group greeting to our viewers.

Wishing all viewers good health and a peaceful world. Yay!

In the crowded streets of Hong Kong, there’s a holiday spirit in the air, with bright red and golden lanterns everywhere and shops selling all kinds of items. But what are our veg friends in Hong Kong up to?

You hear loud gongs and drums, sending off the old year.

You see people are cheerful, each one wearing a big smile.

What are the traditional customs of Lunar New Year?

I know! The traditional customs of Chinese New Year include the lion dance, playing Chinese windmills and receiving lucky red envelopes.

Also wearing new clothes and paying New Year visits.

As well as setting off firecrackers and preparing the Chinese New Year candy box to greet the guests.

What’s the meaning of the New Year Lion Dance? Also, what’s your New Year wish?

The Chinese people think that the lion is an auspicious animal which can help avoid disasters and bring luck to people. And my New Year wish is world peace.

What would you like to do during the Lunar New Year?

I like helping my mom put candies into the New Year candy box. It is a Chinese custom to make New Year candy boxes, so when my friends and relatives visit my family, they can have some sweets. On the Chinese New Year Candy Box, we’d put a red pocket and golden tangerine which represents great luck and prosperity.

What would you like to do during Lunar New Year?

During Lunar New Year, I love helping my mom to wrap gifts. We exchange gifts when we pay visits to our friends and relatives to enhance our good relations with each other.

What is your New Year wish?

I wish that there will be more people giving vegan presents to others, so that more people will become vegan and help our planet.

I wish everyone a Happy New Year, good health, and good fortune! Thank you!

I like helping my mom prepare red envelopes during Lunar New Year. Kids would receive lucky money from the adults.

Why do people play Chinese windmills during Lunar New Year?

It’s because playing Chinese windmills would bring good fortune.

What is your wish for the New Year?

My wish is all meat eaters in the world will become vegans to help the Earth.

You hear loud gongs and drums sending off the old year.

You see people are cheerful, each one wearing a big smile.

The sounds of cheer and music reverberate up to Heaven.

We all wish you a joyful New Year.

It’s now time to visit the auspicious land of Âu Lạc (Vietnam). Wow! Look at how they’re flying on a swing! During Lunar New Year in Âu Lạc, kids have fun playing games. Let’s find out more by going to our correspondents there. By the way, everyone here is vegan!

This is an indispensable folk game on the occasion of New Year. The swing game brings us an animated joyful air, creates inspirations and makes us come together.

Clay firecracker throwing is a folk game of the northern plains area. It is played very much by children on the occasion of the New Year.

What game are you playing?

We are playing clay firecracker throwing.

How is this game played? Can you tell me how to play it?

You use clay to mold a shape like this.

After that, powerfully throw it to the ground. The person whose firecracker sounds the most loudly will win.

What is your wish for the future?

I wish all the children in the world can go to school.

I wish there will be no wars any more.

What is your wish for this New Year?

I wish everyone will be vegan to save the planet.

Now, our veg friends in Formosa (Taiwan) show us some of the ways they prepare for this favorite holiday.

Wow, look, this is very beautiful. What is this?

This is a swan.

What’s the use of this one?

This can be used to decorate the home very beautifully.

Interesting! The arrow on the top is a carrot. This one on the top is a rabbit.

Can you please show us any special paper cut-outs?

Yes. Right here.

What’s this?

This is a beautiful flower.

Whom do you want to give it to?

My mom.

What are you doing?

Cutting paper.

Whom do you want to give this to?

To my older brother.

Where do you want to attach these Spring Couplets?

On the door.

Do you know what character this is?

Spring.

You’re incredible.

What wish do you have for yourself this year?

To have better meditation.

Great. She hopes to meditate better.

I wish to have a bird.

What new hope do you have for yourself in the New Year?

To get perfect scores on my exams.

To get perfect scores on the exam – she hopes to be a very good student.

I hope that I can play the piano better.

What new hope do you have for yourself in the New Year?

I hope I will become smarter.

What hope do you have for yourself in the New Year?

I hope I can plant many trees.

May her wish come true.

I wish for a new bicycle.

If you want a new bicycle, you need to save money.

With the sound of firecrackers, an old year has come to an end, and a new year is going to start right away. Let’s play with our young friends. What’s this?

This is a sparkler.

What is the best thing you have for the new year?

Red envelope.

What else? Set of firecrackers.

What’s your favorite celebration of all the New Year’s celebration programs?

Go sightseeing with Mom and Dad, because we can gather together as a family.

Happy New Year to everyone! THE END

Now, our young veg correspondent in South Korea takes us into a home where one family is spending a memorable Lunar New Year holiday together.

Halo, viewers! Happy Lunar New Year! Today I’m going to introduce the new year tradition in South Korea. In South Korea, children bow to the elderly on New Year’s Day. We bow to our grandparents and parents.

Grandpa, Grandma, Happy New Year!

May you be grateful this year even about every small thing.

Yes, sir.

In 2011, I wish you all to be healthy and diligent in doing the things you like.

Yes, ma’am.

After we bow, we get to listen to the new year’s words of blessing and also receive money for our new year’s bow.

Where will you spend the new year’s money you just received?

I will buy books with it.

I will deposit it in the savings bank.

Where will you spend the money you put in the bank?

I will use it on good works when I grow up.

What is your new year’s wish?

I wish that my family will live happily and that all the other people will live happily as well.

To get along with my friends well.

I want to share my new year’s money with less fortunate neighbors. And my new year’s wish is the happiness of all the animals and people.

And then we sit together and play “Yut.” Yut is a Korean traditional game which everyone can play together. It’s really fun. If you try it, you will really enjoy it.

Happy New Year everyone!

Our final visit is to multicultural Malaysia, where our Association members and friends are gathering for a warmhearted Lunar New Year party. But first, where is our vegan reporter?

Halo! We are from Malaysia. Happy Lunar New Year to Supreme Master Ching Hai and viewers of Supreme Master Television. Lunar New Year is fun. There are food like oranges, cookies, candies and many more. We will wear new clothes and greet our parents. They will give us red packets! Look!

Dad, Happy New Year and good health!

Okay, I wish you progress in your study! This is your red envelope.

Mom, I wish you a Happy New Year and good health!

Good boy! Here’s your red envelop! You are a big boy now, be good, okay?

Many friends come to visit. We have Malay, Chinese and Indian friends. We celebrate together.

Congratulations and be prosperous!

Congratulations and be prosperous!

Hi Mr. Chan, Happy Lunar New Year.

Welcome, welcome.

Happy New Year.

Hey, thank you. Welcome, welcome. Oh, thank you, welcome.

Thank you!

I would like to ask, what is your New Year wish for our world?

I wish more people will become vegetarian.

I wish for world peace.

What is this?

This is vegan Yee Sang. You see? There are a lot of shredded vegetables. It is very delicious and healthy. We are going to toss it high as a symbol of abundance, prosperity, vigour and success. This is a popular Chinese New Year tradition in Malaysia. What’s your (new year) wish? You will toss it high and say your wish, ok?

Okay.

Okay, are you ready?

Progress! Good health! Prosperity!

Good health to everyone, yeah. World peace.

Happy Vegan Lunar New Year! Yeah!

We thank our veg friends from across Asia for introducing us to some of the cherished and exciting traditions of the Lunar New Year.

I wish Master good health. I wish that the whole population on Earth becomes vegan to save the planet, and make the Earth be a peaceful and caring world.

Loving viewers, at this cheerful and lucky time, we wish you happiness, health, peace, and Heaven’s blessings throughout the Lunar New Year of the Rabbit. Coming up next is Words of Wisdom, right after Noteworthy News. May you and your loved ones be blessed abundantly!

What wish do you have for the world for the New Year?

We wish for a vegan planet!