If 2004 resembles its animal spirit at all, it should offer a promising year filled with spontaneity, festivity, business success, and just a touch of mischief.

As locals wish one another "Gong Xi Fa Tsai," there is much history and tradition behind the joyous phrase to remember.

The celebration of Chinese New Year began around 2600 B.C, when Emperor Huang Ti of the Han Dynasty introduced the zodiac cycle. Each month is represented by an animal and begins on the date of a new moon. This is why the new year lands on different days between January and February.

The monkey is the ninth animal of the calendar. Known for its inventive and witty nature, the monkey is personified by a loyal demeanor that is independent and intelligent, yet sometimes egotistical and hard to trust. Those born in the years of 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, and 2004 have the monkey as their Chinese symbol. The other 11 animals are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, rooster, dog, and pig.

The largest celebration of the Chinese New Year in Saratoga is taking place at Argonaut Elementary, where a host of students and faculty have been practicing for nearly three months to prepare a feast for the eyes and ears.

Last year the school discussed traditional family celebrations, which is why the Parent Teacher Association decided to try something new, says PTA president Katherine Tseng. "We thought last year we did that, so let's do something different," she says. "This is the year of the monkey, who is the most famous animal in Chinese history. He has a very dramatic life and is a very interesting character in literature, so we created a very interesting and exciting play."

Entitled The Monkey King, the Argonaut production is no small school play. With backing from a local Citibank branch, it involves nearly 80 students and several faculty members, and features vivid costumes and masks shipped from Taiwan.

"The Saratoga school district is very rich culturally, and we really wanted to celebrate that," Tseng says. "It's a big world that has become so small, and the better we know each other's cultures and respect them, the easier disagreements will be resolved."

Tseng says it was very important to cast a wide range of nationalities in the play. "The Monkey King is not just about Chinese kids participating; we wanted this to be a production for the whole school," she says.

Festivities begin at 9 a.m. and include the play, as well as several smaller programs. A group of fifth-grade girls will perform a traditional drumming demonstration, followed by second graders performing traditional Taiwanese dancing in ornate costumes handmade in Taiwan. Next will be a Chinese fashion show, exhibiting styles from several dynasties and geographical regions. The last program will be a Chinese instrument demonstration with hailed San Francisco musician Xhao Yang Quin leading a team of students in performance.

The event has created such a buzz, Tseng says the group is tentatively slated to perform in several venues throughout February, including Saratoga High School.

Although brightly colored parades and parties are associated with Chinese New Year, those events are usually performed after the actual New Year's day. Traditionally, it is a time reserved for family and food, spring-cleaning and exchanging of gifts.

Gloria Hom, a member of the Chi-Am organization in Saratoga, says she plans for a low-key evening, including a trip to see family in San Francisco. There she will participate in a family tradition of making a raw fish salad. Fish is an important food in Chinese New Year celebrations, as it signifies prosperity.

Saratoga resident Cynthia Chang plans to prepare a "nice meal" and stay home. However, she says, the day would not be complete without giving traditional red envelopes filled with money to her children. Red envelopes symbolize luck and wealth, and are handed out to younger generations by older family and friends.