Lunar New Year has always been an important part of my life. It is a time meant for people to go home and reunite with family. Growing up, the tradition of Lunar New Year was basically the foundation of my understanding of the Chinese culture. There are always a lot of things going on during the celebration. Since it has been 3 years since the last time I celebrated it with my family, I hope I am not too rusty to bring back the old memories.
CCTV New Year’s Gala used to be a huge deal. I think it’s still on the Guinness World Records for being the most watched television program. When I was a kid I used to laugh at its comedy so hard that my mom would yell at me, but now people criticize it for being cliché and not creative. Though, majority of them still turn it on when it starts and use it as the background to add some atmosphere (Nian Weier we call it). Sometimes it’s just so hard to let go of the traditions.
Making dumplings is also a big part of the night. It is also the most important part, because if everyone just played games, watched TV, or chilled out like the kids and the men in family, we would all be starving for the rest of the night. When my grandma was still with us, she was the main person to get everyone helping with making and cooking dumplings. Because my dad and uncles would be too into their Majiang game to listen to their wives (that’s how I remembered as a kid), Grandma would have to be the one to make them move. She asked me to help her as well, every year. But I would always get emotional during Lunar New Year, and I don’t really know why. I would feel either super supportive and loving, or angry and full of negativity. As far as I can remember, I didn’t help her as much as I wish I did. Sometimes I worry about how my family is organizing this now, but I’m just going to trust that they can still be productive and help each other out.
At 12 o’clock, the New Year’s Gala will ring the bell. When I say ‘the bell’, I think they just played the sound through the speaker at the stage, but I’m pretty sure people do ring actual giant bells in temples and maybe other places. Sadly, as far as I can remember, I was either in a lab or in class during that time for the past three years. But I still message my family and friends to wish them a happy new year. It is an important moment that I wouldn’t want to miss. There is always a lot going on during this 15-day celebration. My favorite part is seeing people around me all appreciating and following the same ritual I was taught to follow: setting off fireworks (I heard they banned it within the 5th Ring Road cause of the air quality), staying up all night (to say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new year), or simply eating dumplings with family. Lunar New Year is one of the greatest memories I have of home. I don’t know when the next time I spend a Lunar New Year with all my family together will be, but I can already see it in my mind and everything still look the same, a happy and peaceful family as it always is.
Written by Sharon "ERLebnisse" Li
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