Happy Chinese New Year!

Horse Lights over Chinatown in Singapore

Happy Chinese New Year!  This Lunar New Year we enter the year of the Wooden Horse.  There were big celebrations going on all over Asia and since we were in Phuket we attended the Chinese New Year celebration down near the Parliament Building.  We joined at least a thousand local revelers to watch a live show that was basically a Cirque du Soleil type performance with a Snow White theme (I know, a little strange?).  There were acrobats, jugglers, singers and dancers!  The entire show was done in Mandarin with Thai subtitles so we were happy we knew the story very well.  We do not know the relevance to Snow White, if any... but all in all it was a great spectacle!  
I was hoping to see some dancing dragons and such but alas, we didn't.  I'm hoping to still do so in Singapore as Chinese New Year Celebrations go on for at least 15 days.

All week there were firecrackers going off around Phuket island.  This is one traditional part of the celebration as well as decorations, with red as the dominant color.  Both of these traditions are based on an old legend, as they are meant to frighten away the Nian who was a mythical beast- not a nice one either.  Singapore was decked out in red before I left to return to Phuket.  The night of the big show in Phuket I saw many adults and children dressed in their best red outfits.  Pink was also very popular that night.  
You will see pics below of Phuket and also of Singapore.  Lots of red!  Enjoy!  
May the year of the horse bring you much health, wealth, and good fortune.  

---