Spring Festival

Updated: 2015-03-11 16:25

[Photo/Xinhua]

By Rana Naveed

Movement towards hometowns from other countries as well as other cities of China, big cities becoming less populated, great hustle and bustle in markets and shopping centers, anunimaginable rush at bus stations, train stations, airports and every source of transportation - this is not any emergency situation but it’s the occasion of an immensely important festival which is called ‘Spring Festival’. It is celebrated with great pleasures not only in China but everywhere there are Chinese or friends of the Chinese people.

Being a foreigner I should not have given much importance to this festival as it does not belong to my country, my culture or even with my religion, but what can be said and done if I say that I am in love with the Chinese people and Chinese culture. I have been here for the last year and have received so much love, care and warm feelings from people that I cannot describe.

In my country it is said that friends should celebrate pleasures and grief with each other and this thing enhances the love and affection. Following this I believe that I must celebrate this festival with the Chinese people as this is the occasion of pleasure, happiness and reunion of families and relations. This Spring Festival, my Chinese friend invited me for dinner and I knew that it was not only a common dinner, but it was a dinner which is called the ‘reunion dinner’.

Every year this evening comes once and this year I had a chance to stay with my Chinese friend and his family. At the Spring Festival dinner, all the members of family, including grandfather, grandmother, elder and younger of my Chinese friends were there. The grandfather and grandmother were wearing traditional dress made with red cloth which looked very attractive and eye catching.

Dumplings of different types were served. Some plates of dumplings were made with vegetable fillings and some had beef inside them.

On this festival, fish is an essential part of the dinner as I was told by my Chinese friend that eating fish on this occasion brings money and good fortune in the coming year. Some spicy dishes of vegetables and chicken were also prepared just for me as my guests know that I like spicy food. I enjoyed the food a lot. The dinner had several rounds and I was more than full at last round but still I can recall the taste of the food.

At the end I was given a surprise, it was a red bag which had a red currency note. In the beginning I refused to accept this bag but my Chinese friend told me that it is a tradition in China that on Spring Festival the younger are given red bags thatch contain money. Later all the family members came out and fireworks were blown and this scene was a little noisy but interesting.

They gave such love and care that I cannot describe. They considered me as a part of their family. I am very happy in China though I am away from my family, but I have found a family here and this family is the Chinese nation. This Spring Festival gave me a chance of union with the Chinese people and I believe that in the future I will again get a chance for reunion with the Chinese people at Spring Festival. The future reunion may be in China or anywhere in the world. I love Spring Festival and pray that this Spring Festival and the coming Spring Festivals may bring more and more pleasures and happiness for the Chinese people. Thanks