The year of the dog is approaching. Boing Boing reader “Qin Pan Zi” says, “Here are some weird, tacky songs about Chinese New Year. For example, one of the songs is called “May All Your Businesses Prosper And Improve”. All the songs are in English too, even though it’s about Chinese New Year.” Link
Update: A number of Boing Boing readers wrote in to remind us that “Chinese” New Year is considered by many a culturally insensitive term — after all, millions of people in Korea and other Asian countries celebrate the tradition. The more accurate term “Lunar New Year” is preferred.
Reader comment: Tom Hayhurst says,
Isn’t this culturally insensitive to Muslims – especially given that the Islamic calendar is actually lunar, rather than lunisolar like the Chinese one? Other common lunisolar calendars are the Hindu chāndra māna, the Buddhist calendar (used across Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar) and Hebrew calendar, so it seems a bit much. I’m half joking about this, but only half – here in Singapore everybody calls it “Lunar New Year”, but it’s very clear that it’s only the Chinese one that’s being celebrated – imagine going straight from all the fake-snow decorations and cheesy carols being piped into every building that are apparently required for Christmas, to the run- up to CNY with red lanterns and equally irritating Chinese songs…