East Meets West: Mixed Heritage Holiday Cards

When I was growing up, Christmas was my most favorite holiday. 

There was something I just loved about this time of the year. As a kid, I loved sitting in the backseat of my dad’s SUV, listening to Christmas music with my nose pressed against the cold glass, eyeing one after another rooftop of blinking rainbow lights and quietly taking notes on which one was my favorite. I loved plotting out gifts for all my family members, trying to find things that would surprise and delight everyone (and usually overestimating my own abilities to craft dazzling gifts by hand). I loved walking into our living room after dinner to the soft glow of tree lights in the dark, and or coming home from school to discover that Mom had wrapped a holiday garland around all the staircase railings. 

Oh, Christmastime - there was (and is!) something so beautiful, and just so cozy, about this holiday.

Some of my Christmas memories are pretty common and relatable - like the ones above. But growing up in an Asian American household meant that we also celebrated our own way.

Since we didn’t live near immediate family, our Christmas Eves were spent gathering in a big Asian party with other Taiwanese American immigrant families. The dinner spread was usually an array of family-style Chinese dishes set out on the kitchen island so everyone could help themselves. After dinner, all the kids would go to the basement to play GameCube and cards - while all the adults would gather in the living room to chat, drink, watch TV or sing karaoke. Everyone would stay up late - the kids getting progressively more hyper  - before finally the parents would herd all of the kids upstairs and we would all pile into our family cars, to be ferried home to our beds. 

My Christmases growing up didn’t really look like the Christmases of my American classmates and teachers. And truth be told, it wasn’t until I became an adult that I began to truly cherish just how special and unique my holiday experience was.

My Taiwanese parents took on the tradition of Christmas with good spirit. Christmas traditions don’t carry much weight or meaning for my parents - they grew up in Taiwan, without the cultural expectation of celebrating this holiday, and where the primary religion is Buddhism - but nevertheless, after moving to the States, they embraced Christmas tradition so that I would never feel left out as a kid.

And even though, as I got older and grew out of the gift-giving years, our Christmases became more about hanging around the house and relaxing rather than decorating or exchanging gifts - my Christmases have never been wanting for love or warmth.

Looking back, one thing that stands out to me now is realizing how much more we did for Christmas compared to Chinese Lunar New Year. 

You see - Chinese New Year usually falls in late January or early February, about 1-2 months after all the Christmas hullabaloo; and all too often, CNY fades into the backdrop of America, quietly forgotten save for the displaced immigrant families who celebrate with one another in the glow of their own dining rooms.

I never had school off on CNY (and my dad never had off work), so for the most part, the New Year just felt like another day. Mom would cook some special dishes, and we would eat dinner together; but for the most part, there was nothing special. 

As an adult, I am very fortunate to have had the chance to spend a few Lunar New Years abroad in Asia, where I was able to experience the true significance of this holiday. In Taiwan, the Lunar New Year is heralded by massive street markets where vendors peddle holiday snacks, nuts and treats - some of these foods are specialty items available only during this time of the year. Crowds of people flood the train stations to migrate home for the holidays, with pet carriers containing cats and small dogs tucked beneath their arms. Restaurants decorate their windows with red and gold, and offer New Years specials containing a special menu of dishes - many of which represent luck or fortune for the new year.

What a beautiful tradition, right? And how lucky I am to have gotten a glimpse of this as an adult - an experience that brought me closer to the way my parents grew up. 

So here’s what I’ve learned: Christmas is a lovely time, and I’ll always cherish the beautiful memories I have from growing up.

But these days, I find myself yearning more and more to mix and mingle different traditions.

This year, I set out to create a holiday collection that would embrace both Chinese and American cultures. A holiday card collection that would not only redefine my love for Christmas, but also celebrate a deep and ever-growing appreciation for growing up in a mixed heritage household.

The result? A pattern-mixing, gold foil-flaunting, multilingual holiday card collection.

Welcome to East Meets West.

The inspiration behind this year’s card collection is the mixing and matching of different cultures and traditions. So it is fitting that these cards feature a variety of Chinese and Western influences, including a mix of flannel and plaid inspired patterns paired with gold foil fortune cats and “Happy New Year” stamped in Mandarin.

In the spirit of reinventing traditions, I also created a series of photos that not only featured these cards, but also other iconic items used to celebrate the holiday season. These photos showcase everything from holiday cooking spices to ornaments and décor!

You will find that many of the items featured here are not just American holiday items, but also Chinese and Taiwanese items.

Here’s to embracing different cultures, traditions, and mixed heritage identities.

Cheers,