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Feb.
3, was the first day of the Chinese New Year. The Year of the Tiger is behind
us and the year of the Rabbit is here. Twelve year cycles represented by an animal
has been a tradition in China for thousands of years. It is estimated our year
of 2011 is the Year 4708 by the Chinese Calendar.
The Chinese New Year
begins on the second New Moon after the winter solstice. It is based on astronomical
observations, making it easy to calculate backward or forward for thousands of
years.
It is really the only holiday for everybody. It is a time to honor
the household and heavenly deities. It is also a time to honor their ancestors.
In
1912, with the birth of the Republic of China (now on Taiwan) the Western calendar
was recognized as the formal beginning of the year. But the traditional Chinese
New Year continued with a new name – Spring Festival. |
In
preparation for the lunar New Year, cleaning house and yard were meant to appease
the gods who would be coming down from heaven to make inspections. (See more about
this in my book, “Lao She, Master Storyteller.”)
People posted scrolls
printed with lucky messages on household gates and set off firecrackers to frighten
evil spirits. Elders gave out money to children. | |
In
the 1580s, Italian Matteo Ricci and some Jesuit missionaries brought the western
Gregorian calendar to China. Beginning in 1949, Chairman Mao Zedong (1893-1976),
head of the Chinese Communist Party and founder of the People’s Republic of China,
stopped the celebrations of the traditional Chinese New Year. There was little
food or joy to celebrate anyway until his death. In 1996 the Spring Festival became
a weeklong vacation. In the old days it was a month long celebration.
As with all things the Spring Festival’s traditions have changed with the opening
to the West and the coming of color television. It is a time when more attend
operas, eat out, but still visit family and friends.
We observed the celebration
many times in Taiwan and Hong Kong back half a century ago. I am glad we got a
taste of the old as well as the new. With the growth of Chinatowns in America
(even Houston has street names in Chinese
characters as well as English in the western suburbs), it is time for Americans
to re-think their attitude and understanding of peoples of the world.
This
past couple of decades has been a year of better understanding between the Chinese
from Taiwan and those from the Mainland. Now, let’s have more of that on the government
sides, Taiwan, China and the United States. Happy New Year of the Rabbit.
©
Britt
Towery
Along the Way with
Britt
January 30, 2011 Column
Britt Towery, a native of Brownwood, spent 35 years
in Asia. His e-mail: bet@suddenlink.net | |
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