Sunday E-dition: Happy Year of the Dragon
By Glenda Winders
NAPA VALLEY, Calif. — If you're reading this on Sunday, Feb. 11, chances are I'm still in bed, sound asleep. That's because last night I hosted a celebration at my home for the Lunar New Year, a holiday I cherish deeply. Despite my white Anglo-Saxon heritage, my experiences in Hong Kong have dramatically changed how I view the new year.
My interest in Chinese culture was sparked while I was living in the Bay Area, where the allure of Chinatown was irresistible. One visit took me to a gallery where I met an artist who was selling prints of a piece she had done for the Year of the Horse. I had a long conversation with her about the new year holiday and ended up buying a piece of her art.
Another time a memorable tour there enlightened me about the significant role of Chinese immigrants in California, especially in the Napa Valley. They built the early wine caves, now landmarks in the region, such as those at Schramsberg, whose sparkling wine caves date back to the 1870s. Another cave, nearly forgotten, has been recently refurbished and is now actively used for wine aging.
This often-overlooked history of Napa Valley highlights the pivotal role of Chinese immigrants in shaping the region's renowned wine industry. From 1870 through 1900, these laborers, fundamental to vineyards and wineries, laid the foundation of Napa's economy. Despite their essential contributions, they faced severe discrimination, exemplified by laws such as the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act. Their legacy, once almost forgotten, is being rediscovered through recent works such as John McCormick's "Chinese in Napa Valley: The Forgotten Community That Built Wine Country," a remembrance of their resilience and significant impact on American viticulture.
But my fascination with this celebration also lies in its extensive history. The Chinese New Year, dating back to the Shang Dynasty (1600–1046 B.C.), has a history of about 3,500 years. It started with sacrificial ceremonies to honor gods and ancestors. The term "Nian" (year) first appeared in the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 B.C.), leading to customs of sacrifices and nature worship. The Han Dynasty (202 B.C.-A.D. 220) formalized the festival's date as the first day of the first lunar month. Over time, the festival evolved from religious observance to social and entertainment activities. Despite an attempt to replace it with the Gregorian calendar in 1912, it remained popular and was later named the Spring Festival, a significant public holiday in China.
I didn’t learn all this until I visited Hong Kong for the holiday, but when I did, I fell as much in love with the meaning of the festivities as I already had their colorful trappings. It was my good fortune to be one of 100 journalists from all over the world invited to learn about what goes on during these three remarkable days and nights. We were divided into language groups, some of them as large as 30 people, each with a Chinese guide. Since I was the only English-speaker, I had a guide all to myself. For an entire week it was if I were traveling with a girlfriend.
Win Ying’s husband was away on business, so she had no time constraints and I got to have a lot more authentic local experiences than most of my colleagues. She took me to lunch at the yacht club where she and her husband kept their sailboat and taught me how to eat 100-year-old eggs (a slice of ginger is the secret). She made dinner for me in her tiny apartment, an honor I didn’t take for granted since people there typically entertain in restaurants. She was a marvelous teacher of all I had come to learn.
Hong Kong is brightly lit and delightfully gaudy on any given evening, but during this time of year the sides of its high-rise office buildings and stores gleam with even more red and gold neon lights. Firecrackers, “Happy New Year” and symbols of the current year’s animal run up and down the outside walls, flashing and blinking as they go. In the lobbies of hotels and banks bowls of oranges and ornately painted porcelain pots filled with yellow chrysanthemums flank the doors. Depending on the year, a dragon might be hanging from the ceiling or a dog or a rabbit or a boar represented with stuffed toys or life-size cutouts.
The new year is the premier family holiday in most Asian countries, with airline tickets selling out months in advance and brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles coming from wherever they have scattered across the planet. One of my favorite parts of the visit was the night flower market, where at 3 a.m. people were buying the auspicious mums, lilies, roses and other blossoms to ready their homes for welcoming guests.
But it isn’t just about decorating and having company. The people I met take the meaning of the holiday seriously. They clean every inch of their homes, and if they have dishes, clocks or other items that are broken or unused, they use this occasion to decide whether to repair them or let them go. That also applies to relationships, so spats and grudges often get patched up during January and February.
The traditions are many. Special foods must be eaten, such as fish for abundance, longevity noodles, sticky rice for staying together, dumplings for wealth and bird’s nest soup for fertility. The fireworks that inevitably go off as part of the merriment are intended to drive out evil, and the list goes on.
But what I most love about this holiday is that people genuinely try to do better, to be better people as the new year begins. Their intentions are not like many short-lived Western resolutions but instead are guidelines for how they plan to change their behaviors. Drinking too much, nursing hangovers and watching sports on television do not enter the equation.
When I returned from that visit I started having annual Lunar New Year parties, as I did last night, and just like always, I encouraged my guests to become better people as the Year of the Dragon begins. This time it somehow seems more important than ever. It’s my plan for myself and my wish for you.
Gong Xi Fa Cai!
Last Week
Mariam Hansen, in "Watching the Wild Weather in Days Gone By," delved into the history of weather observation in St. Helena, California, since 1907. The focus was on Edwin Paulson, who reported on the weather for over 50 years. Published in Napa Valley Features, the article offered insights into the town's weather extremes, including record rainfall and high temperatures and occasional snowfall, presenting a unique view of St. Helena's climatic history.
The 22nd Annual Napa County Pruning Contest was held on Feb. 3 at Beringer’s Gamble Ranch Vineyard, attracting 113 vineyard professionals. Ana Mejia and Guadalupe Soriano were victorious in the women's and men's divisions, respectively. Their success underscores the crucial role of farmworkers in Napa Valley's wine industry. The winners were awarded prizes that included cash, tools and wine.
Dave Stoneberg recently reminded readers that tickets are still available for the Soroptimist International of Calistoga's "Crab Feed & Auction FUNdraising Event," set for March 2. The event, making a return after a COVID-19 hiatus, will feature a Dungeness crab dinner along with auctions and raffles. Funds raised will support scholarships and programs for women and girls. Stoneberg highlighted the club's contribution of over $75,000 in educational support over five years, as well as the awarding of Live Your Dream scholarships to three local high school students.
Dan Berger, in a recent article, addressed the common issue of wine mispronunciation in the U.S. hospitality sector, with a focus on Napa Valley. He linked this to the nation's relatively undeveloped wine culture and frequent staff changes in restaurants, which impact the standard of wine service and knowledge. Berger cited examples like incorrect wine identification and region misplacement, underscoring the need for improved wine education among service staff to improve customer experiences and encourage a wider appreciation of wine varieties.
In her article "Sheet Composting has the Power to Revitalize Your Garden," Sue Helms discussed the advantages of sheet composting for enhancing gardens. She explained the process of layering cardboard, brown and green materials to improve soil and control weeds, while warning against the use of materials like diseased plants. Helms shared her own success stories and detailed the method for different garden projects, also noting upcoming compost workshops in Napa County.
Dave Stoneberg's article in "Millions Needed to Renovate Calistoga Fairgrounds" highlighted the financial and structural challenges facing the Calistoga fairgrounds. It covered the city's intention to purchase the 70.6-acre site, despite needing millions for repairs due to a collapsed sewer system and leaking water infrastructure. The fairgrounds, important for both community events and emergency use, face constraints in usage and funding for redevelopment.
In our inaugural "Under the Hood" issue for paid subscribers, we revealed a noteworthy trend in the local hotel industry for 2023. Despite a drop in occupancy rates, revenues increased, driven by higher room rates compared to 2019, the final pre-pandemic year. This contrast underscores a complex economic situation in the hospitality sector, influenced by factors such as changing post-pandemic travel patterns and economic shifts.
Next Week
Next week at Napa Valley Features, readers can delve into an array of engaging articles. Scavone will illuminate the past of Lake Berryessa, while Stoneberg examines the impact of the HealthWell Foundation on patients with soaring medical costs. Gardening enthusiasts can look forward to the Master Gardener series on cultivating Napa Valley green spaces. Berger is set to discuss the increasing consumer price sensitivity. Weekend plans can be crafted with the Weekender's guide to local events. For in-depth exploration, Stoneberg's "under the hood" piece will celebrate a century of crop reports. Plus, there will be an abundance of additional information for the curious reader, along with even more new contributors.
Glenda Winders is a novelist, freelance writer and copy editor for Napa Valley Features.
Thank you for sharing your experiences in this wonderful article.