Happy Lunar New Year
This weekend Singapore held its annual Chingay parade, marking the first week of Chinese New Year. The Lunar New Year is always very colorful in Chinese communities, and Singapore is no exception. Chinatown especially is brilliantly lit up, and various venues shoot off fireworks. Though I've only seen the Chingay parade on TV, it looks like everyone is having a lot of fun.
Beside the public festivities, two things stand out about Chinese New Year. First is the evident importance of family; the second is the value of hospitality.
Chinese New Year is usually a time of family reunions. Since the first day of New Year was Feb. 7, and many people living in Singapore have parents or other relatives in Malaysia, there was a mass migration on Feb. 6, with most people going north. The best comparison I can think to culture in the USA is Thanksgiving and Christmas, both of which always draws family together for a big feast.
One thing that continues to bring families together is the practice of the hungbao - red packets with money - given to children and unmarried relatives by the elders and married members of the family. Since a youngster can earn a few hundred dollars in a day or so, there is clear motivation for family reunion, not unlike Christmas gift-giving in America when children look forward to getting toys from parents and grandparents.
The other thing about Chinese New Year is the hospitality. On the first couple days of the New Year friends and family will visit each other. Everyone prepares goodies - fruit, cookies, candy, etc. - as people will come to visit and bless each other. I noticed this especially in my wife's hometown in Malaysia, though I don't know if it's as common in urban Singapore. We are among those who travel north every year.
Many important traditions are fading away. I hope this practice of visiting at Chinese New Year doesn't do that. If our practices of hospitality fade away, then eventually civilized society will fade away, too.
Beside the public festivities, two things stand out about Chinese New Year. First is the evident importance of family; the second is the value of hospitality.
Chinese New Year is usually a time of family reunions. Since the first day of New Year was Feb. 7, and many people living in Singapore have parents or other relatives in Malaysia, there was a mass migration on Feb. 6, with most people going north. The best comparison I can think to culture in the USA is Thanksgiving and Christmas, both of which always draws family together for a big feast.
One thing that continues to bring families together is the practice of the hungbao - red packets with money - given to children and unmarried relatives by the elders and married members of the family. Since a youngster can earn a few hundred dollars in a day or so, there is clear motivation for family reunion, not unlike Christmas gift-giving in America when children look forward to getting toys from parents and grandparents.
The other thing about Chinese New Year is the hospitality. On the first couple days of the New Year friends and family will visit each other. Everyone prepares goodies - fruit, cookies, candy, etc. - as people will come to visit and bless each other. I noticed this especially in my wife's hometown in Malaysia, though I don't know if it's as common in urban Singapore. We are among those who travel north every year.
Many important traditions are fading away. I hope this practice of visiting at Chinese New Year doesn't do that. If our practices of hospitality fade away, then eventually civilized society will fade away, too.
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