Danwen at Penn: Episode 37-Happy Chinese New Year!!!!!! Best wishes to the year of Horse!

When the clock turns 12pm today, it marks that China will be entering a new year--the year of Horse! I feel extremely excited about it because I was born in the year of horse, a twelve-year circle finally ringing my horoscope in. It also means that I am officially turning 24.....and that's the ONLY thing I don't want to talk about it.......
Right now, I am watching the live show of traditional Chinese New Year Grand Gala online. The show will be running from 8pm to 12am at local time, and I got up at 6:45 am this morning in order to watch it on time! Being in a foreign is not an excuse for missing out on such big celebration.
My cell has been ringing since yesterday, full of those warm messages expressing best wishes for the new year and blessings. Those words all contain the Chinese character“马”(horse), hoping that everyone could be successful, healthy and blessed in the new year. Therefore, if you have Chinese friends, you can change your daily greetings from "Nihao" to "Xin Nian Kuai Le" (Happy New Year) or " Ma Nian Ji Xiang" (Wish you all the best in the year of Horse!) As a person that is being greeted upon, I'd more than delighted to hear that, and it sounds much sweeter, keeping up in the festive spirit.