Chinese New Year is a time to start afresh and a time for celebration. It is celebrated globally, from Korea to Singapore to the United States, where we can hear thunderous cheers and blissful wishes when the clock strikes at midnight. During the fifteen days of celebration, many families gather and hold reunion dinners to catch up with one another. Aside from family reunion dinners, people also do spring cleaning around the house. It is said that spring cleaning chases bad spirits away. However, recently it has become less symbolic of driving evil spirits away but more of making a good impression on family members who come and visit them.
Different people have varied perspectives of Chinese New Year. To some teenagers, Chinese New Year is like a week in heaven. The idea of heaven paints a picture of freedom. During this festive season, teenagers have a valid excuse of abstaining from academics as there is a traditional saying that “books” sounds like “lose” in Chinese. Most teenagers thus equate the liberty to escape from tiresome homework drills to the absolute freedom they could secure in paradise. However, to me, Chinese New Year is an important time of the year as I barely get to see my relatives in a year due to my busy schedule. During such rare occasions, we will spend quality time talking to each other and enjoy traditional food such as fish and dumplings. The fish is often facing the eldest of the table as a mark of respect while the dumplings, which are made to look like silver ingots, symbolize money. Overall, both dishes represent prosperity and fortune for the diners. Another delicacy is Tang Yuan, which are sweet small balls made out of glutinous rice flour. Its shape symbolises wholeness and togetherness, representing the unity of a family, hence eating Tang Yuan is a way for us to express our best wishes for our family and future prospects.
In this season of Chinese New Year, train stations, airports and buses will be flooded with people as many take this opportunity to visit their relatives in different countries and provinces. On Chinese New Year’s eve, many families, including mine, will watch the vastly popular Chinese New Year Gala Show on the television until the midnight countdown. At the turn of the Chinese calendar, it is a crucial time for us to do self-reflection and reminisce our beautiful past memories. During the reunion dinner, we will also share what we want to achieve in the coming year such as better results and good health. For the younger generation, we not only enjoy the fact that we can play with our friends or relatives without the worry of school, but we can also receive red packets. It is commonly said that the money we received is supposed to be used for buying food as the luck will stay in our bodies for a long time when we eat it
These traditions and rituals form an integral part of the annual Chinese New Year celebrations, established in the most auspicious time of the Chinese calendar. We can take this chance to establish new friendships with people around us such as our classmates, co-workers or neighbours. Essentially, sharing such joyous events together could help us bridge communication gaps, fostering a more closely knit society.
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