Article

This was my second article in the JSR Program-> https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D_gcUudoj7B1Ab5pZ7kJyUyBOnpTVGJlOpx1XI_hrGY/edit


How China Celebrates Their New Year

2021 started just a few weeks ago. Some countries have already celebrated the new year, wishing themselves good luck for another 365 days. However, in some Asian countries, such as China and Korea, people celebrate the new year according to the lunar calendar. This way, January 22 (2023), in terms of the solar calendar, is January 1 for Asians. China calls the lunar calendar new year “The Chinese New Year.” Since China considers the Chinese New Year the most crucial holiday, many exciting changes can be observed during the holidays.

As I live in Beijing, the holidays started when I wrote this article on January 22, 2023. . The first thing that I observed is the number of road vehicles. I noticed that people dwelling in Beijing were not born and grew from the capital; the vast majority had hometowns that were far away from Beijing. Just before the Chinese New Year, Chinese citizens went to their hometowns to spend the holidays with their families. Since most businessmen in Beijing receive approximately one month of vacation, they are already gone before the holiday begins.

Something interesting I noticed was the color red and the Chinese word 福 scattered wherever I went. In Chinese culture, the color red symbolizes power, health, and repelling evil forces, which makes people purchase a variety of items to celebrate the new year. Furthermore, the connotative meaning of the word 福 is luck; to wish good luck this year, my family bought posters and stickers that contained the word. Following the demand for Chinese new year items, malls and markets were filled with items for decoration. Red lamps and dragons were ubiquitous in the city, and various festivals were held.

Of the many items, the most shocking  was a human-head-sized dumpling with the word 福 engraved on it. The dish is actually a traditional delicacy in China, but it tasted nothing different from any other dumplings. Regardless of the taste, citizens tend to eat any food with that word just because of its symbolic presence. Finally,  when the clock read 12:00 a.m., fireworks burst out of nowhere, with their deep red colors and loud noises blazing through the cold midnight.. Surprisingly, no one complained about it; everyone seemed delighted as they watched  the sparks. Red posters, dumplings, and fireworks will  continue for the next three weeks. A new year has started in China.

Hajoon Song, Grade 9, International School of Beijing.

It is a tradition in China to eat that enormous dumpling that have only the word on it for luck, wealth, and health.

[Source: Author, Hajoon Song]

A lot of items that celebrate Chinese New Year can be seen.

[Source: Author, Hajoon Song]