Happy, Healthy Thanksgiving
Is Thanksgiving celebrated in China? Of course it is. American ex-pats and Chinese people who have lived abroad enjoy the traditional family-centered celebration and festive foods. Although many homes now serve Peking Duck, stir fry veggies, noodle dishes, eggplant and traditional dishes cooked with 5 Spice, and teas. Sharing a hotpot is a longtime Chinese tradition. Friendsgiving has become common with millennials working in big cities who can’t go home to celebrate.
Chinese Christians call the day "Gan'en Jie" literally: 'thanks for grace holiday'. Foreigners in China might hear friends say "thank you" and receive a small gift. The holiday for early settlers and Natives in the American colonies has been adopted by people around the world to thank God for blessings.
There is also a mid-Autumn Thanksgiving or Moon Festival (Zhōng Qiū Jié) as it's known in China, which is the 15th day of the 8th month in the lunar calendar which puts it in September or October on the solar calendar.
Here are delicious teas to help settle our nerves, boost our Spirit and enjoy the season.
Rose bud tea is a romantic message for someone we love. The handpicked small red roses fill the cup with fragrance that can ease pain and depression.
Dried Longan fruit makes a sweet, soothing tea when brewed and adding honey. The Longan is literally translated to “dragon eye” due to its resemblance to that of dragon’s eyeball when it is still in its shell. The berries are produced by a tropical tree that is native to southern China, but also grows in some other areas of Asia. Dried Longan is used in Chinese cuisine, and desserts, and a delicious drink.
Longan, as an herbal medicine, is believed to have a relaxing effect on the body. Also, because of the fruit’s high Iron content, it is thought to help in improving concentration & memory. In addition, it is known to alleviate stomach-aches and help with insomnia.
Tian qi Flower can be brewed alone or added to white or green tea. Tian qi flower is a small greenish bud that looks like dried broccoli flowers as the result of extracting the Tian qi Flower tea. The taste is mild, cooling and slightly minty similar to American ginseng. Tian Qi is highly prized throughout Asia for its traditional use of pain relieving and healing properties. It has been used for headache, hypertension, acne, agitation and teeth grinding during sleep.
Fruit Teas: Brighten winter’s gloom with one of our delightful fruit teas. Their sweet, calming flavors bring happy thoughts and conversations shared with friends and family.
