Chinese New Year - Essay Example

Since I arrived in the United States seven years ago, I have been so fortunate to be celebrating the transition every year twice. Several countries around the world have traditionally observed celebrating New Year’s Eve every December 31 based on the Gregorian calendar. However, as part of the traditional Chinese family, we get to celebrate Chinese New Year as the first day of the lunar month based on the Chinese calendar, which uses a very intricate and detailed computation based on cycles of a 60-stem branch counting system. I hope you would not ask me how this system works because aside from possibly taking me more than 60 minutes of your time, I am sure that the explanation would all put you to sleep. We observe placing specific decorations that include posting popular characters or symbols such as Luck, Money, Wealth, Happiness, Prosperity, or Health on a diamond-shaped red paper and pasting them on the doors, windows, and money safety boxes. The best thing I enjoy during Chinese New Year is the dishes that are prepared for the celebration.

There are also specific meanings for the foods that are prepared. For example, mother cooks meat dumplings for good luck; sweet rice cakes for more wealth every year; fish for plenty; vegetables with long noodles for long life; chicken for wealth; soup means everything better than last year; and shrimp for abundance. We also ensure that specific fruits are on the dining table, also with distinct meanings: tangerines for good fortune; apples for peace; oranges for money and wealth. I sometimes think that the Westerners’ preparation for a bowl of fruit cocktail would be better to attract prosperity and good luck.

Another custom that we never forget is giving Hong Bao which is a red envelope that contains brand new money. Parents and grandparents give Hong Bao to children and relatives also to signify good luck and prosperity. In China, some festivities include watching dragon dances and paying our respects to our ancestors by offering food and incense. While in the United States, we still get to pay our respects by observing adherence to these customs and traditions. I miss waiting patiently in vigil for the coming of the New Year, especially in locations where it is welcomed through a magnificent display of fireworks.

The value of adhering to old traditions could not be ignored as they form an important part of one’s life. The way we celebrate New Year in China could be significantly different from the way New Year celebration is practiced in the United States. The disparity was eminent in distinct practices of warding off bad luck through age-old traditions of cleaning, preparing selected foods and fruits, and giving away tokens for good fortune. Despite the differences, I admit that where ever and however people celebrate New Year, the important thing we realize is that it is a time to leave our bad practices and mistakes and learn to move on with steadfast determination to do good in words and actions toward our fellow men.