F REIGN TRADE - 中国国际贸易促进委员会

a Chinese-speaking friend to help you
check www.58.com to find ride share
opportunities headed to your destination.
It’s cheap and definitely unforgettable!
If you’re concerned about safety,
it would be best to meet the other party
beforehand. I traveled with a lovely
young couple that was simply looking to
save money on fuel and we became quick
friends during the journey.
Spending some quality time
with the family
Once you’ve made it to your destination,
drop your luggage and get ready
to party! Well, perhaps not the type of
party you’re thinking. The Chinese
New Year is filled with age old
traditions and time spent
with family. For those celebrating
with a Chinese
family, you can expect
a lot of food and
incredible hospitality.
Bear
in mind, it
is polite
a n d
often
expected
for family
members
and guests to
arrive bearing
gifts. Visit any supermarket
this time
of year and you’ll find
a variety of gift boxes, nuts,
dried fruits and chocolates, all of
which are suitable for gift-giving.
According to Chinese tradition, reds,
oranges, and yellows are colors that create
warmth and excitement. Thus, oranges
are often given to arriving guests
as a warm welcome.
Although every family celebrates
the festival a bit differently nowadays,
there are a few traditions that seem
fairly common throughout the country.
Of course, the traditions run far deeper
than my non-Chinese self is able to
describe, but from my experience, the
most important days are New Year’s
Eve and the first few days of the New
Year. Generally, families will gather
for a tremendous feast on the eve of the
Chinese New Year. Following the meal,
the nation tunes in to watch the Chinese
New Year’s Gala. Young people
even enjoy ringing in the New Year at a
bar or club, with “crowded” describing
the environment lightly. Depending on
where you are in the country, prepare
yourself (have your cameras ready!) for
the roar of fireworks when the clock
strikes midnight. During the first few
days of the New Year, families travel
around to relatives’ homes to pay a New
Year’s visit, drink tea, snack, and chat.
During the evenings, some families
gather for a game of mahjong. This,
for me, means staring blank-faced at
the table while being hypnotized by
the melody of the rustling tiles. I really
need to learn how to play.
If you’re joining a family celebration,
come ready to eat. Food is central
to the holiday and meat is particularly
abundant, symbolizing a precious reward
for the hard work and struggle
throughout the year. You’ll undoubtedly
have the opportunity to try many
types of food and parts of animals that
you didn’t even know existed. The look
on my face must have been priceless
when an entire “messenger bird” aka
pigeon was dropped into my bowl.
How to handle such a situation? Pretend
to enjoy it and then discreetly discard
it when no one’s looking; no one
will mind. A fish will often be served
at family meals during the New Year,
but not eaten. This is a reminder to
always leave a little bit remaining. The
pronunciation of the words “fish” and
“surplus” are the same in Chinese (yú),
thus giving rise to the importance of
fish in both food and decoration during
this time of year.
Honestly speaking, I look forward
to the Spring Festival each year.
As much as I would like to hibernate
in my apartment in front of my space
heater watching Sex and the City reruns,
it’s nice to get out and experience
what China is really about. People
work and anticipate the entire year for
this moment. It means the world to
them and as guests in their country
we should grant it the same respect.
Next time you are graciously invited
to a Chinese New Year’s gathering,
be honored, for they are opening their
home and time-honored tradition to
you. Turning down the opportunity
to experience the spirit of the season
would be downright sad. The holiday
is long, the opportunity is rare, and
you’ll have plenty of time to recuperate.
Enjoy your Spring Festival!
(Source: eChinacities.com)
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