📍 Nanjing, China. Last December, I left Beijing to visit Nanjing, a city I love and where I have several artist friends: painters, singers, dancers, and journalists. On Christmas Eve, we walked through the streets and dined at an international restaurant. Everywhere there were young people, excited, having fun, going to restaurants and bars, both Chinese and international. The atmosphere was incredibly lively. 🎉
That night, I began to remember how it was when I arrived in China decades ago, as a twenty-something invited by a Chinese publishing house to work with them. Back then, Christmas was not on people's minds. Of course, they were friendly and gave us foreign colleagues the impression that they understood us; they didn’t want us to feel lonely and kindly invited us to dinner or lunch, usually at their homes.
We foreigners of that era knew even less about the Spring Festival and its meaning than the Chinese knew about Christmas. Of course, we enjoyed the holidays and traveled around. But what is the Spring Festival about? Now, we just need to open a computer to get useful or necessary information. 💻
The Spring Festival is an annual event in China and also in Chinese communities around the world. It is the oldest and most important festival in China, marking the New Year in the Chinese calendar and representing people's desire for a new life, perhaps in new settings. Just like the importance of Christmas in our countries, the Spring Festival is the most relevant celebration in China. 🧧
It takes place on different dates each year, but typically begins in late January or early February and lasts until mid-February. This 2025, the dates for the Spring Festival holiday are from January 28 to February 4. Those days will be characterized by joyful and lively gatherings, as well as close family reunions. 👪
The festival is believed to date back to the early days of the Shang dynasty, about 3,500 years ago, and honors the tradition of respecting ancestors and deities. Two characteristics are considered important: one is bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new; the other is the family reunion. 🎊
For me, it is amazing to see how these ancient traditions remain alive and how young people in China celebrate them with so much enthusiasm. It reminds me of the importance of valuing our own traditions and sharing them with others. 🌟
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
