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Joyous celebration of Chinese New Year
Updated: 2015-03-06 14:57
By Dai Huaqin
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[Photo/Yang Wenying] |
Jade goat sounds wonderful, silver goat dances frequently. Songs reveal auspicious pictures, dances play smiles in satisfaction. On Feb 13, although an extreme cold warning is announced, Chinese immigrants are anxious to celebrate Chinese New Year. Ottawa’s Chinese Community Service Centre provides a spacious classroom at 220 Stoneway Drive.
Around noon, Chinese seniors wearing gorgeous traditional Chinese costume bring homemade delicious food to the site. They slowly walk into the hall and start to arrange it right away. All kinds of Spring Festival couplets are posted on the wall, red lanterns are hanging over both sides of the hall, a poster of “in out safely” is on the main entrance door surrounded by hollow paper-cut decorations. Couplets such as, “House filled with luck, fortune arrival and forever safe”, wish everyone to be happy and peaceful.
The Chinese New Year never lacks good food and entrainment. Dumplings and rice balls are very tasty. Dumplings stuffed with sauerkraut or leeks are freshly prepared and cooked on site. Osmanthus fermented glutinous rice dumplings taste sweet and smooth. There is sushi, nut rice cake, bean paste pastry, fried rice and all kinds of fruitspread on the tables, making our eyes and stomachs busy.
Rich and colorful entrainment starts, one after another. Players wear red Christmas hats, colorful wigs and silk bands - everyone dresses brightly, making us feel the holiday atmosphere. Plum flower blooms welcome spring, the song, Praise Plum Flower marks the beginning of the party.
The up and down rhythms of humorous dialog and eating bring a lot of fun. We learn the philosophy from laughs. A little magic show catches all eyes trying to figure out the tricks.
There are two gentlemen; their deep voices enliven the party. Modern ladies are scrambling to the stage, eager to play. High tones of Ping opera, passionate sonorous Peking opera, lingering soft Yue opera, local bright shanghai opera,the familiar tune from a hometown comes right into the heart. Old couples sing a love song and make us excited.
Media Support: | Chinadaily.com.cn | Ecns.cn | People's Daily Online | xinhua.net | |China.org.cn | |cntv.com | |CRI.cn |