The Nian Monster was coming. A few days ago, it was the Chinese New Year's Day. The Nian Monster is a cruel, terrible, wild animal, and in ancient times people believed the Nian Monster was extremely afraid of the color red, fire and the loud noises. Therefore, people pasted red paper on the wall and shot off firecrackers and fireworks to avoid the Nian Monster. In order to celebrate this big victory, Chinese people have Chinese traditional New Year's Day. Nevertheless, this holiday has gone through many changes in the U.S..
When the New Year is coming, the new Chinese immigrants will feel so lonely in America. There was a big snow storm on New Year's Eve this year in Chicago, so we didn't have enough friends and relatives to celebrate the New Year. In China, Chinese people had a lot of friends and relatives that came together to play Mah-jong. It is like a gambling game wheree four people sit on one table, and the other people sit around with them. We used to chat with each other and that made us so happy 
on New Year's Day. When twelve o'clock was coming on New Year's Eve, my family would send text messages with beautiful words in Chinese or funny picture messages to our friends, or call our relatives. Meanwhile, we had to visit some relatives' homes the next day. Then the elder people would give the younger people red packets with money. But this year in America, I couldn't find any traditional actions. When the New Year was coming this year, my family felt homesick because we didn't have enough friends or relatives in America, and the special holiday feeling was gone.
on New Year's Day. When twelve o'clock was coming on New Year's Eve, my family would send text messages with beautiful words in Chinese or funny picture messages to our friends, or call our relatives. Meanwhile, we had to visit some relatives' homes the next day. Then the elder people would give the younger people red packets with money. But this year in America, I couldn't find any traditional actions. When the New Year was coming this year, my family felt homesick because we didn't have enough friends or relatives in America, and the special holiday feeling was gone.
In addition,there are so many New Year celebrations that have been lost in translation since I arrived in this country. Every New Year, Chinese people normally paste the new spring festival red couplets with Chinese words to welcome the New Year. At 12 o'clock on the New Year, we should shoot off firecrackers and fireworks. At this moment, it was so noisy and lively outside. Those two actions were done in order to scare the Nian Monster away in ancient times. However, I didn't see any store selling spring festival couplets or firecrackers in Chicago's Chinatown. Lastly, a few days before the New Year, every family is supposed to worship our own ancestors and deities. Then we burn some fake paper money to our ancestors that have died. However, our apartment is made of wood in America, so if we burn the paper money at home, it will make the smoke alarm go off. That's why I never see anyone doing it in America. The other reason is that people are so busy with their own jobs. In China, we have a long vacation to celebrate New Year's coming. But New Year's Day just belongs to Chinese people in the U.S.A, so Chinese people also have to work during the New Year in America. Working made us so tired. That was one of the reasons that people didn't have enough time to prepare anything for the New Year. The spring festival couplets, firecrackers, fireworks and worship of our own ancestors are almost all missing during the Chinese New Year in America.
Finally, in China, Chinese people typically have some essential foods to prepare when the New Year is coming. First of all, we p
repare the ricewine because we call the wine for "jiu" in Chinese. It's the same pronunciation as long in Chinese. The rice symbolizes a bountiful harvest. That's why when the New Year is coming, we make rice wine. It symbolizes it will have a full harvest for a long time in the following year. Next, we make dumplings, and the insides are made with everything mixed together. Eating dumplings means you will also have a bountiful harvest and more wealth in the next whole year. Lastly, we make lots of rice until the next day which symbolizes Chinese people will
have enough food next year. In Chinese, we have a saying that people will get plenty of clothing and food because of the overnight rice. In contrast, how many people remember these customs in America?Chinese people in America just cook a little more food than average days. Meanwhile, the Chinese New Year is so simple in America. There were few Chinese that celebrated the New Year in America, and it was so much more quiet than it would have been in China.
repare the ricewine because we call the wine for "jiu" in Chinese. It's the same pronunciation as long in Chinese. The rice symbolizes a bountiful harvest. That's why when the New Year is coming, we make rice wine. It symbolizes it will have a full harvest for a long time in the following year. Next, we make dumplings, and the insides are made with everything mixed together. Eating dumplings means you will also have a bountiful harvest and more wealth in the next whole year. Lastly, we make lots of rice until the next day which symbolizes Chinese people will
have enough food next year. In Chinese, we have a saying that people will get plenty of clothing and food because of the overnight rice. In contrast, how many people remember these customs in America?Chinese people in America just cook a little more food than average days. Meanwhile, the Chinese New Year is so simple in America. There were few Chinese that celebrated the New Year in America, and it was so much more quiet than it would have been in China.Unfortunately, the big change in America about the Chinese New Year is that offspring who are born in America forget the meaning of the New Year's holiday. After generations, Chinese Americans will forget their own culture. What is the Nian Monster? Why we should celebrate avoiding Nian Monster when the Nian Monster was coming? In America, we have lost our own Nian Monster. I hope Chinese Americans will continue making the essential foods, celebrating the Chinese New Year with our family, pasting the spring festival couplets and worshipping our ancestors in America. I miss the tranditional Chinese New Year in my hometown.
I agree with you that Chinese people in this country has no tradition action on Chinese New Year's Day. I still went to my aunt's house and celebrate the Chinese new Year. I think celebrate New Year here is no fun because I only receive 2 red envelopes this year. Back in the day, I often receive over hundreds of dollars from New Year's day.
ReplyDeleteChinese New Year used to be the most exciting time of the year. However, when I moved to the United States, it’s no longer a happy holiday. I don't feel like to celebrate the holiday anymore, even if I know how to organize everything that is needed. There has no purpose of the celebration when no one is participating. It’s very sad to eat dinner alone when it was supposed to be a big, warm family reunion.
ReplyDeleteHi, I miss Chinese new year because I can play together with my family and friends, it meanings we have a long holiday in China. However, in the U.S, I actually did my homework until 12:00am in that days. it was so terrible, but we all living in America, we should try to adapt life in this strange country. Finally, I really want to go back to my hometown to eat.
ReplyDeleteNice pictures attract reader's attention. your essay made all the Chinese people who live in the U.S. miss the festival in China more.
ReplyDeleteIts very interesting essay and it helps me to have some knowledge of Chinese New Year celebration.
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ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid, my mother always told me some stories and myths of China on the bed. I love Chinese culture and history so much, because there is many interesting things in them. For example, there is a woman called Change lives on the moon with a rabit, so this is the reason why The Mid-Autumn festival exist.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your essay, I feel that I miss Chinese new year very much! I also like playing mah-jong. If you can, we can play together.
ReplyDeleteI have already forget all of those things. I forget what we need to do, and what we need to do. The only two things that i remember are red envelope and Mah-jong. If you want to play Mah-jong, call me next new year
ReplyDeleteThe story from old ancient China, and it is a more thousands of Chinese culture. We are acquainted with style of ceremony to celebrate it, it seeped into our blood. Whether we are anywhere, we still miss it. When you live a strange place, we still to remind it also.
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