Happy Chinese New Year! It's the year of the rat, which represents intelligence, leadership, creativity, and control. The rat was also the first animal to start the 12-year cycle of the Chinese lunar calendar, according to legend. Supposedly, those with a rat child are considered lucky b/c when the parents get old, the child will take care of them.
Some friends asked if I took the day off work today; the answer is no. I never took off for Chinese New Year's before, even when I was in school (would've ruined the perfect attendance award at the end of the year =P), so why start now? For the past few years up until last year, I wasn't even home during Chinese New Year... always spent that time in one foreign country or another. Besides, now that I'm in the burbs, I feel like I'm unaware of all the festivities going on.
Growing up in Chinatown, I've seen how this holiday has evolved... the firecrackers that used to scare me as a child have long been banned, the lion dances moving to the beat of the drums are now managed by non-Asians (as well as their drummers), and each year, some new product comes out that sells like hotcakes just for this one day b/c consumers (especially tourists) are suckers. I just don't think that's what it's all about. I have fond memories of Chinese New Year being family time, where for that one day, my parents would be off from work, and we'd go home-hopping from one relative to another, visiting family members we don't see any other time of the year. That is how I remember Chinese New Year to be, not all the commercialization of the holiday that it's turned into. It's a shame I didn't appreciate it more when I was younger. Of course, collecting red envelopes as a child was part of the fun. Now as an adult (at least physically, if not mentally), I find that giving red envelopes can be just as fun. It's really not about the money, but about how fortunate we are to have the ability to give to others, and to have loved ones to give to. How often do we take the time out to count our many blessings and to thank God for them?
1 comment:
oh that's right..if i visit you, i get an envelope! alright! ;)
yah..it's so different now. no more red snow (thanks to global warming, no more snow!) rem how it was always cold, the ground always covered in snow and ice chunks and then chinatown gets reaaaally dirty b/c of the fire cracker wrappings being stepped on and smushed into the snow...ah, those were the days.
well, as long as we keep those fondest traditions in place, it will still be good :) are you having fam dinners and visits? i try to visit my aunts tho it's not always easy to make it for those trips!
have a great one!
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