GONG XI FA CAI! (Happy Chinese New Year!)
Seriously, sometimes China is just so juvenile and tacky (at least from my Western perspective). Take, for instance, the whole Chinese New Year thing. I cannot believe what hoopla this holiday is. It is the loudest holiday I have ever experienced, and it seems to go on forever. It's difficult not to notice it. Firecrackers go off at all hours of the night. And we are not talking about supervised, safe fireworks. We are talking go out in your front yard and light off industrial-strength fireworks that can be seen for miles. After a few big firework nights, we had firework shells and remnants all over our front yard and porch. It's not safe to go outside when neighbors are setting these things off. It's loud not only in sounds, but in colors and decor. There are red plastic and cardboard decorations everywhere, and since this is the "Year of the Rabbit" (based on the Chinese Zodiac of 12 animals), cartoonish-looking bunnies and stuffed animals abound. Complete sensory overkill. Kind of like Christmas in the States, but a little more in your face.
So, what's the meaning of all of this? Well, short summary about CNY: China follows the Lunar Calendar. The Lunar Calendar year consists of 12 months of 30-day lunar cycles. This year February 3 was Chinese New Year's Day. It's a big family gathering... migrant workers go home and bring money to their families and families celebrate a number of traditions together, including wearing certain clothes, eating certain foods and performing certain rituals.
Note about the firecrackers/fireworks: The Chinese invented gunpowder and setting off fireworks is legal here. The fifth day of Chinese New Year is the day that the firecrackers/fireworks are set off in great abundance to welcome the "God of Fortune." The Chinese go a little overboard - in hopes of having an abundant year full of monetary wealth? - and the fireworks are set off beginning at midnight and lasting to all hours of the early morning. One gets little sleep. The kids are zombies in school. It kind of stinks for the people who don't celebrate the holiday. It makes us cranky. But, hey, when in China...
Here are some CNY scenes around China. What do you think of all the red and the cartoon-character bunnies?
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| CNY lanterns in Yu Yuan. |
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| They even set off firecrackers at school. |
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| It cracked me up that the Chinese security guards lit the firecrackers with their cigarettes. Only in China! |
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| Funny decorations... usually all about good fortune. |
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| CNY version of a Christmas tree? |
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| Don't really know what this is. But it was made entirely of styrofoam pieces that were glued together and then painted. Interesting... |
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| Mascot for "Year of the Rabbit" - looks like Bugs Bunny, doesn't he? Does Hanna-Barbera know about this? |
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| Chinese New Year decor at Carrefour (local supermarket). |
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