Lunar New Year: Year Of The Rabbit (2023)

“It’s that time again!” I scream, ”My year! Mine and only mine!” I squeal and roll around in my bed.

“Yeng Xui, calm down!” My cranky brother throws a pillow at me. “You think you’re so special that you get to wake us all up!” I ingnore him, I was born in an entire family of Dragons and I’m the only rabbit they’ve had in 200 years! 200! If I’m not special in my family, all those swordsmen and emperors in my family aren’t either! I go downstairs to see the whole place decked out in paper lanterns and statues! How exciting is this?! It’s like what people tell me Christmas is like! I know it happens every year, but unlike Christmas, it’s not the same every year! My oldest sister, Mingxia is practicing her solo for her Chinese Opera performance, it sounds amazing, Mom is making breakfast, and Dad is doing what he normally does. “Hey Yu Yu, can you bring these flowers to the shrine for me?” I accept and leave the house with my sandals hardly on.

I look around and I see all the paper lanterns are arranged around the house and connected to street lights. I buy a yam from Mrs. Yang for 6.78 yuan and I eat it on the way. Mrs. Yang is what you call “non-negotiable” every time someone asks for a yam or anything else she says; “6.78 each, no bargaining!” It’s piping hot when I bite into it. Usually they’re a little warm but today, she actually gave us something fresh from the oven!

I’m almost at the shrine and something gold flashes past me. Was that a rabbit? I give my job to my younger cousins who just happen to be passing by handing out red envelope gifts to everyone who passes by them. “Hi, Yeng Xui, have a red envelope!” They’re only 4 but they can manage larger jobs than given to them. I ask them to take these to the shrine and assure them they can finish their handout afterwards.

Whatever ran past me went into the bushes behind the Noodle Shop. I look through the bushes and I find a golden colored rabbit! I brush it’s shiny fur, glitter falls off of it, but the rabbit doesn’t seem like it was painted gold, the golden hair goes all the way down to the follicle!
"Hey, it's okay, I'm friendly!" It climbs into my arms and then we touch foreheads, she shows me...