The significance of the Chinese New Year

Updated: 2015-03-05 14:32

[File photo]

By Sava Hassan

Every year, as Chinese New Year approaches, I begin to contemplate its significance and how do I perceive it, or to be precise, how do I see it?

Despite being a foreigner who is married to a wonderful Chinese lady, I celebrate the precious occasion as Chinese do.

The first thought that comes to my mind, when I think about Chinese New Year, is its correlation with and relevance to Chinese family traditions and values.

Hence, I see Chinese New Year as a golden opportunity to cement relationships between family members, including mine. Like the majority of parents, I anxiously anticipate the arrival of the Spring Festival to see my children, whom I haven’t seen for a long period of time.

I am, always, attempting to respect and abide by the Chinese traditions to fit in. It is customary that the children’s family visits the in-laws from the husband’s side on the evening of Chinese New Year while stopping by the in-laws from the wife’s side on the day following Chinese New Year.

Since both sets of our parents are dead, my wife and I seized the opportunity to visit our relatives, including her sisters, to exchange news and views and wish them a prosperous and happy Chinese New Year, as most Chinese do. We also gave gifts to our nephews and nieces of ya sui qian (money).

Without any doubt, Spring Festival provides most people with a chance to reconnect with old friends whom they haven’t seen in years. Leading a hectic lifestyle deprives me of the opportunity to see my friends. Consequently, I take advantage of Spring Festival to renew our friendships and reminisce about the wonderful memories of yesteryear.

Like most individuals, Chinese New Year gives me the chance to reflect upon my achievements and accomplishments during the passing year. It also allows me to examine the reasons behind my anguish and sorrow at dealing with the disappointments of being unable to attain all my objectives regarding my career and my personal life throughout that year.

Needless to say, Spring Festival gives me sufficient time to relax and rejuvenate in preparation for the challenges of the upcoming year. Like most Chinese individuals, I usually establish reasonable new goals, which I will exert every possible effort to achieve throughout the following year.

As an avid fan of traveling, Spring Festival gears me toward satisfying my profound desire to explore the wide universe of ours by visiting new exotic locations without going over my tight budget.

Regardless of the health concerns of gaining extra weight, Chinese and foreigners alike, including myself, rejoice in the joys of the festive atmosphere of the Chinese New Year. They pour into the streets to watch the amazing fireworks and share the celebration with others.

Some regard Spring Festival as a free pass to indulge in drinking alcoholic beverages and that would be fine if they are drinking moderately and taking precautions to not drive under the influence to avoid tragic car accidents. Fortunately, for me, I do not drink.

Without stating the obvious, we all seize the opportunity of Spring Festival to satisfy our taste buds with sumptuous dishes prepared for the occasion. Some, including myself, overstuff their tanks with a variety of food items without having to deal with the guilt of overeating.

As an educator, I do emphasize to my students the importance of finding the balance of fulfilling the responsibilities toward their studies and enjoying the festivities that come with Spring Festival.

I do allocate some time to remember those we lost during the passing year.

I see Chinese New Year as a chance to share my good fortune with those who are less fortunate by donating to reliable charities and homeless people.

One can see clearly that I am gradually but certainly acquiring the Chinese habits pertinent to celebrating the special event of the Chinese New Year.

Finally, I wish to seize this opportunity to wish all my fellow Chinese a Happy Chinese New Year (Xin Nian Kuai Le). I hope that the New Year will grant all of you the opportunity to enjoy excellent health, to achieve exceptional success and to experience ultimate happiness.