We’re set to welcome in the Year of the Dragon earlier than usual this year; Chinese New Year falls on January 23, 2012 rather than during February. With the stress of studying for finals and SATs, the holiday seems to have been dwarfed by heavy workloads and sleep debts. It’s hard to notice all the decorations and preparations for the holiday when we’re drowning in all the pressure. However, that doesn’t mean we should allow the Lunar New Year to pass us by.
Celebrations for the Lunar New Year have degenerated. Typically, “Chinese New Year” is associated with “money” rather than the cultural aspect of the holiday. The majority of high school students probably plan on receiving the red envelopes with pasted-on smiles and then going straight home to crack down on the books rather than going out to celebrate with family, much less bother to revel in the unique celebrations or listen to traditional folk tales behind Chinese New Year.
The problem itself lies in an ingrained cultural indifference. As children, we were all awed by the pretty lanterns, by the elaborate traditional clothing, by the different cultural cakes, candies, and fruits put on display in our houses. We’d all be fascinated and excited to hear stories of long ago, tall tales that told us more about our heritage than we realized. However, as we got older, the music, the lights, and the sounds became less spectacular and more routine. The stories we’d hear from our grandparents and our parents lost their flavor. We became too old, too jaded to partake in the different games. The moment we looked forward to Chinese New Year only for the cash it brought us, the apathy began.
Chinese New year is a holiday like any other. It has its own unique origins just like any other holiday (although they’ve all been so thoroughly commercialized, we’ve ceased to think beyond each celebration completely), and it’s an excuse to spend quality time with family and relax like all holidays. Don’t let that fact that it falls shortly before finals stop anyone from refraining from celebrations. In fact, this year, try to partake in every single aspect of the holiday in order to fully grasp our cultural heritages. Only then will the holiday be truly enjoyable.
