(written by Cait)
2012, the year of the dragon, flew by in a hurry. We’ve been here in China for almost a year and looking back, what a year it was!
2013 Year of the Dragon
Spring Festival
The Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, is not only the most important holiday of the year, it’s also the largest human migration in the world.
February 9th, is the first official day of the holiday and ending on the 12th. But, many people will takes several weeks, or even an entire month off to visit family and/or travel.
I’ve always thought a day or two off for Thanksgiving and Christmas is just not enough. So, I really like the idea that the country and culture encourages people to take time off to spend it with their family, friends, and take a break from a long year of working.
But I’ve heard some stories and travel plans from my students that make me cringe (and then my students laugh when I make a horrible face). Many people that live in Guangzhou have parents and family from other parts of the country, and are expected to return there during the Spring Festival. For example, a student told me his co-worker, has to take a 27-hour train ride home…that in it of itself sounds miserable, but this guy’s ticket is for standing room only. When I showed my shock, he replied, “Yes, it’s terrible, but what choice does he have? It’s Spring Festival!”
This Spring Festival display of snakes, wishes, and tangerines, is located in a busy shopping and business plaza.
So, I’ve come to realize, like many things in China, the idea itself is good, but when it comes to execution, it falls short. I’d like to think that my parents, and someday if I become a parent, if my child had to spend hours and hours, miserably traveling to see me, I’d reschedule the holiday.
Another popular tradition of the Spring Festival is giving of ‘lucky money’. Single people, will receive money (amounts vary depending on the wealth of the family) from married family members, colleagues, and friends. Tangerines and small tangerine trees are given as gifts for good luck, and people decorate their front door with red banners written with wishes for the coming year.
Brad and I decided to go against the grain, and not travel for the Spring Festival. And I have to say, it’s been a wonderful choice so far. Construction has stopped, traffic is quiet, and no one is around. It’s delightful, if not strangely eerie. I can actually hear birds singing! On our first day, we took a walk about 1 1/2 miles to the next neighborhood, Liede (Lee-uh-duh). It’s a new neighborhood, has a very western in style with a lot of green space. We headed to this little square, you could say. Restaurants and shops surround this park where kids can play in a fountain and people can sit at tables.
Corner Deli, 2-level import grocery store, sells anything a foreigner could want from home (with a hefty price tag, but even at $8 a bag, Cheetos have never tasted so good). With has a wine/liquor section and a bakery, many people grab a little snack and sit on the patio. We bought a bottle of wine, cheese, and garlic bread, and spent a couple hours sitting outside, relaxing.
Who’s to say what the year of the snake will behold? We’re not even sure, but I’ll keep writing about it!