Here, Piggy Piggy

As it turns out, the Asian Lunar New Year entails more than just exchanging those tasty little Chinese rice candies they used to give out when I was a kid. According to one Web site, in Vietnam, people commemorate the Buddhist occasion this way: "For three days, one takes painstaking care not to show anger and not to be rude to people. The most nagging mother-in-law will make peace with her daughter-in-law; a quarreling couple will smile pleasantly at each other." And not just that—they also tidy relatives' graves! If you're not up for all that but still want to welcome the Year of the Pig, go to the Interfaith Buddhist Celebration of Joy at 5 p.m. Sunday at Unity Church of Dallas, 6525 Forest Lane. There will be music, meditation and food, and the ceremony will be moderated by Br. ChiSing, M.Div., M.A., an ordained disciple of Thich Nhat Hanh. $5 to $20 requested donation. For more information call 214-452-8963.
Sun., Feb. 10, 5 p.m., 2008