Different Chinese New Year
4/16/2023 Africa News By Kengyi, Zengwei and Weicheng
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image: 洛杉矶的中国新年游行 © Jose Gil/Dreamstime.com
If we were to talk about which Chinese festival has the greatest influence overseas and is most well-known to people from other countries, there is no doubt that it is the Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival. Overseas Chinese have played an indispensable role in spreading the celebration of Chinese New Year around the world.
In comparison to the traditional Chinese New Year, which begins on the second new moon after the winter solstice and ends on the 15th day of the first lunar month (Lantern Festival), preparations for the festival begin well in advance. Chinese people stock up on New Year's goods, clean their homes inside and out and replace or decorate with new items, symbolizing "out with the old and in with the new." Many people also put up festive couplets and make offerings to the Kitchen God. The reunion dinner on New Year's Eve is an important tradition where families gather to share a meal. The sound of firecrackers, usually lit by adults, wakes up the sleeping children and ushers in the new year. Dragon and lion dances are a highlight of the Spring Festival parade, and festive decorations are everywhere. Visiting relatives and friends is also a common practice, and children especially love to receive red envelopes filled with money. In Guangdong, there is also the tradition of visiting flower markets. The festival ends with the Lantern Festival, where people eat sweet glutinous rice balls called yuanxiao.
Due to the inconvenience of many of these customs while overseas, a very small number of Chinese people may choose not to celebrate the Spring Festival, but this is a rare occurrence. The majority of overseas Chinese still take around seven days off work to celebrate the festival, though it may not be as grand as the traditional celebration in China.
image credit to CNN
America: Since 2005, the Chinese Lunar New Year has been designated as a legal holiday in the state of New York in the United States (source). Every year in the Chinatown of the United States, a grand flower car parade is held to celebrate the Chinese New Year, attracting many Chinese and foreign tourists to come and visit. The Empire State Building will light up in red and yellow for two consecutive days on the 30th day of the Chinese lunar calendar and the first day of the lunar new year to greet Chinese people around the world. It can be said to be a grand event.
Dubai: As the Chinese New Year approaches, Dubai is already decorated with colorful lights, creating a lively and peaceful atmosphere to welcome the Chinese New Year. There are New Year's Eve fireworks shows, dragon boat races, and city pedestrian streets filled with the festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival. The dragon and lion dance performances are essential in the Chinese New Year parade. The Versace Hotel in Dubai promotes Chinese cuisine during the Lantern Festival, which also attracts many Chinese tourists.
https://m.163.com/travel/article/F2HQQKBT000698DJ.html?spss=adap_pc （source）
Africa Mauritius: Although Mauritius has designated the Chinese New Year as a legal holiday, it is only for one day due to the fact that during that time, Mauritius is in the peak season for tourism as it is in the southern hemisphere's summer. Local Chinese usually take around 7 days of vacation to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Due to the time constraint, they can only have a New Year's Eve dinner, paste couplets on the door, and simplify traditional activities such as visiting relatives and friends. This means that the Chinese in Mauritius cannot celebrate a complete "Spring Festival". Mauritius is deeply influenced by Chinese culture, and the streets are also decorated with colorful lights. Chinatown also has exciting lion dance performances to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
However, due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, many overseas Chinese were unable to continue holding activities to celebrate the Chinese New Year. In order to continue celebrating the Chinese New Year, many overseas Chinese used mobile phones and computers to connect with their families and friends in their hometowns and celebrated the Chinese New Year online. Chinese embassies abroad will also distribute "Spring Festival packages" containing epidemic prevention supplies to overseas students, stranded individuals, and overseas Chinese who are facing difficulties.
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