Missing Nian

Missing Nian 

According to ancient Chinese mythology, Nian is a beast which lives under the sea or mountains, and it comes out to villages or cities to forage once a year during the end of the year. However, the Nian is timid, so it is afraid of the sound of firecrackers. Therefore, it is a custom in China to set off firecrackers every Lunar New Year to expel the Nian. Because of this, Chinese people also call the LunarNewYearNian. It is the most important festival and also called the Spring Festival in China. The Spring Festival is one of the most traditional holidays which has a history of 5000 years, and it is celebrated for over a month celebration in China. I lived in China and experienced the lunar new year for eighteen years. However, since I moved to the United States, I have not prepared or experienced the spring festival as I did in China.

The Spring Festival is the most ceremonial traditional festival that Chinese people prepare for a month from the beginning to the end of December in the lunar calendar. When I was in China, I used to buy food, clothes, gifts and poetic couplets with my parents during the week preceding the holiday. Then, my family had a ceremony to worship the god of the kitchen in order to please him to protect us in the kitchen on December 23^rd. I usually did a spring cleaning after that, which aimed to sweep away the bad luck and bring in good luck in the coming year. Furthermore, on December 28^th, I wrote and stuck red couplets around the doors with my father. I have not stuck couplets or worshipped the kitchen god since I moved to the United States. I still prepare the spring festival here in Chicago, but it is much simpler because of the busy working and difficult grocery shopping. I also clean my house but not as hard as the spring cleaning. Although it was so complex, I miss the busy but nice preparations for Spring Festival now.     In addition, family reunion is very important on the first and last days of the year. This day is celebrated grandly and brilliantly in my home country because it is the connection of two years. When I was young, all my family members came together from different cities regardless of how far it was, and we sat around a big table to have dinner together at the night of December 30^th, the end of the year. It meant we were all together. After dinner, we sat around the living room and talked about the interesting experiences while watching the Festival Gala Evening Party over the night. All of my family members stayed up all night, and all lights had to be on overnight. It was armed to welcome the coming of the new year, which was the custom called shousui. Then, I dressed in new and nice clothes to give great greeting to the elders of the family and get lucky envelopes from them in order to have a great start on the next day, the beginning of the year. I watched the spring festival party online in recent years in Chicago, but it was always rebroadcast because of the time difference. I could only meet and have dinner with my father and sister instead of all family members and did not especially wear new clothes in the first day of the year. As a result, I felt my house and heart deserted and missed the exciting family reunion and the great time shousui. 

Moreover, the rest fifteen days of Spring Festival is the time to meet friends and visit relatives. In my childhood, I was so happy to visit my relatives with gifts, but I had to wait for the dinner of the second day to go around and meet my friends. Also, I used to have fancy parties and great meetings with my friends and classmates when I was in school. We went out at night to watch the firework shows which the government sponsored for four days in order to have fun with the citizens. Also, I joined the wonderful temple fair and had a lot of fun. Instead of the temple fair and firework shows, Chinatown in Chicago had parade event and other activities to celebrate Chinese New Year. However, I seldom join the activities and feel different. Thus, I miss my friends in China and feel thankful having great time during the Spring Festival with them, whereas I was lonely in Chicago. 

The spring festival is the most important festival in China, and it represents a  very important part in Chinese culture. It is also my favorite traditional festival. However, I lost it in translation and celebrated it more and more simply. Although Chinese people also celebrate the spring festival in the United States, I don’t think it is the same with my memory. Maybe it is because of my changing feelings. Celebrating the spring festival is called guonian which means the New Year in China. It means to leave out the old year and go into the new year. It is not only having fun celebrating traditional festival but also great wishes to the coming year. I hope I can go to China and experience the lunar new year with my family and friends this winter. I want to relive it to be great and meaningful.