Visiting

You may be wondering what it is people do when they return home. Well, one 20-year-old we know said she spends the 2 weeks watching movies and being bored as she doesn’t have any good friends to hang out with when she goes home. 

But this year, we were anything but bored as we had the honor of visiting with our local neighbors in our village.  This visiting period takes place on New Year’s Day and the following few days after.

Upon arrival, you deliver the goods you have brought.  This year we did a bottle of our homemade wine, flower tea, walnuts, honey, and long johns for the grandpa and grandma of the house.  Next, you would prostrate (bow down to the floor on your hands and knees) before the oldest male in the house.  You do the same before the family alter.  We did not do this and were not expected to.  But you can imagine the conflict for our local Brothers and Sisters.  Below are examples of family alters we saw today.  You will notice similarities. 

Next, you sit by the fire….

…and eat snacks and drink yak butter tea.

Then, you chat…

…and enjoy the fire…

….while the ladies of the house prepare a meal.  Today we had a variety of noodles and steamed buns. 

There is also a separate seating area around a TV.  Again, notice the similarities between these 2 seating areas below.

Then finally, after a respectable time has passed (anywhere between 10 minutes to an hour to all day, depending on your relationship with the host), you can take your leave and move on to the next house.  The host will often offer a parting gift.  Today we got 2 large pieces of home-raised pork, fruit, breads, and homemade cooking oil.  And, if you are a kid, you look forward to a red envelope that has the equivalent of $6-$15 in it.  With 4 kids, our family could put a strain on another family we are visiting.  Because each kid gets one, we are careful with who we visit and tried to split up.  We also try to counter balance this red envelope gift with the gifts we bring.  Jubilee came with us and the older 3 went to visit at their 2 friends’ homes on their own. Jubilee made out like a bandit.

And of course, no holiday would be complete without fireworks!