Chinese buying up for a holiday feast •Factory machines hiss to a halt for holiday

Xiu Li is busy sorting the stack of frozen meat at a supermarket counter, while her friends help her out choose. She eventually decides to get a pack of chicken legs with a resounding nod of agreement from the rest.
While Li does her grocery shopping at least once a week, this time she says, she is buying a lot for a feast with friends to mark the Chinese New Year which is being celebrated today.
The 25-year garment worker was one of the dozens of Chinese nationals queuing at the supermarket cashier, an oddly busy day considering it was a holiday — President’s Day — yesterday.
For Li, nothing could stop her from observing the day when garment factories on the island grind to a halt and give way to a party festooned with all sorts of Chinese food, symbols and anything in red.
Grappling to speak in English while responding to this reporter’s questions, Li said she was making efforts to put a semblance of old tradition to her celebration of the important Chinese holiday on an island several thousands of miles away from her homeland.
This is the second year she is marking the New Year on Saipan and she hopes it will the best. “I will spend the whole day with friends from the factory, just to go around and visit other friends,” she said.
Many garment firms here have given their mostly Chinese employees a three-day off from work schedule, that began yesterday and to last until Wednesday.
But the break is hardly a vacation for some, like Li and her friends who said they will have a party at their dormitories with food and gifts to share with co-workers.
Of course, Chinese traditions are expected to be highlighted in these soirees, including the lion and dragon dance that will usher in good luck for the new year which, under the Chinese calendar, is the year of the rabbit.
While fireworks are limited, rituals commonly associated with the celebration such as burning of paper money are also part of the whole package.
Carmen Gaskins, resident manager of Hansae, said her company had a simple celebration as many of their workers preferred to spend the day with few intimate friends.
“They don’t have their families here, but they have a day of celebration with friends,” she said. “It’s not really elaborate.”
Although garment companies veer away from usual menu in their food provision to their employees to serve a grand feast on this day, many workers are opting to prepare their own recipe.
Supermarkets and grocery stores around the island have been packed with Chinese nationals since over the weekend, buying frozen meat, fish, bread, fruits and vegetables.
According to a supermarket manager, sales have gone up in the last few days and stocks have emptied fast.
Chinese also usually spend a lot at this time, buying gifts and other items to be given to their friends and families.
“If the Chinese New Year means prosperity for everyone, I hope this buying spree becomes a daily habit so we will have big sales all the time,” said the supermarket manager who gave his name as Joel.