Lahore, Jan. 20 -- As with Christmas, the Lunar New Year holidays are essentially a time of thankfulness - of festive family reunions and get-togethers with one's dearest relatives and friends. And as with the Christmas season run-up to the big day, the period leading up to the first day of the Lunar New Year brims with warm, gleeful feelings and excited anticipation. A cherished cultural centerpiece of these lead-in weeks is the joy of heading to busy and colorful New Year markets to stock up on nianhuo, literally "New Year goods," meaning all the goodies, decorations, and other traditional items that fill homes with auspicious symbolism. There's an impressive amount of stocking up to do, for during the long holidays there is near constant...