My mother always
told me that everything will not be the same forever. Actually, I always
believed that nothing in my life would change, even if the world is changing. However
now, I think I was wrong. After I moved to Chicago, I knew it more and more
clearly. Many things are not the same anymore. This year is the second year of my
living in Chicago and it is also second year I have celebrated the most important
festival, Chinese New Year, in Chicago. However, the celebrations in Chicago do
not resemble this great holding in China.
In China, the
Chinese New Year is the most important festival and the happiest festival at
the year. Family members who are working in other cities or provinces will go
home and enjoy meals and spend time to welcome the New Year. I remember two
years ago, my father and my mother cooked a lot of delicious dishes and bought
some beverages for my sister, brother and me just like she did every year.
Sometimes my brother and sister and I would help my parents to wash the
vegetables and prepare them for my mother because my mother is the great chef
in my family. We always had a very happy dinner party together. Those days were
so wonderful, but they have been changed now. Yesterday was the Chinese New Year’s
Eve, but my mother still had to work, and the three children in my family still
needed to go to class. Therefore, we could not prepare the delicious dinner or have
a series of activities for celebrating the New Year’s Eve together as before.
These changes made me felt so helpless and disappointed.
Today is the
first day of Chinese New Year, but I still cannot feel any of the holiday atmosphere.
Before I came to Chicago, I had a lot of fun at the first day of Chinese New
Year. For instance, my family would get up more earlier than other days because
we had to meet our parents and family and say “happy new year and have a health
body in a new year” which is a common greeting in my country. After that, we
would get red-packets from my parents and my family. These convey best wishes
for us, and are for children only. In general, my mom would make some of sweet
Chinese rice dumplings in the morning for breakfast for all of us. The sweet
rice dumplings signify a good beginning in a new year. Eating sweet rice
dumpling is common in my family. After we ate the sweet rice dumpling together,
we would choose activities to have fun. I liked to hang out with my friends and
shop or see some funny show together, such as the dragon and lion dance which
is the traditional activity at Chinese New Year in China. I was so happy to hang
out and enjoy the day with my friends together. However, Chicago is not the
same, and the holiday has changed. This year, I did not gone out or enjoy the New
Year with my friends. My mother did not made the Chinese rice dumpling for us
in the morning as well, because she has to work and has no vacation for the
Chinese New Year. Even though the Chinese New Year is still very important for
us, my parents have no time to make the rice dumpling or do the celebrations as
we did before. However, they still give me red-packets and wish me a good new
year. I realized that I miss the feeling and atmosphere of Chinese New Year in
China it just cannot be replicated.
The Chinese
New Year is one of the most important festivals in China, and it is one of my
favorite festivals. This year, I got many New Year’s congratulations messages
from my friends and I felt so delighted. When I talked with my friend who lives
in New York, and I asked her what she was going to do for celebrations of
Chinese New Year. she said “I have no time to celebrate it, because I still
need to work in this week.” In fact, Chicago is a city with a significant
Chinese population,but it still does not have any atmosphere because most Chinese
people have no vacations or time to celebrate it with their family. In fact,
they are missing all the feelings and activities of the Chinese New Year in
China just like me.
On the Chinese
New Year’s Eve, I was reminded of a conversation with my best friend who lives
in China . She asked me“Does the Chinese New Year have any atmosphere in
Chicago? What are you going to do for celebration?” At that moment, I felt very
bad, helpless, and disappointed. I had nothing to say. Before I came to Chicago,
I always thought maybe I could have a foreign Chinese New Year celebration in
Chicago. I was so looking forward to it and it was one of the best ways to make
me feel happy when I left my friends and family. I remembered my mother’s words
“Everything will not be the same forever; it will change over time.” Despite
these changes, I am still willing to do my best to keep this most important
festival no matter where I live or how difficult it will be because I love
Chinese New Year.
Yi, I understand your feeling about the Chinese New Year in Chicago. And I like the part that you talked about how do your parents prepare the Chinese New Year every year when you and your family lived in China. My family do the same thing.
ReplyDeleteYeap! The Chinese New Year is the most important festival for Chinese and all the activities in this festival are the most memerable things in my mind. I really want to go back to China for this If I could do it.
DeleteKethleen,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you talk about the Chinese New Year in the U.S. Because my parents were not at my side in the Chiese New Year.
Yes Zhenzhen. I got your feeling because we all are chinese and live in a foreign country. I really want to go back to china in next year. Do you want to go with me?
DeleteI hope I can, dear.
Deletekathleen,
ReplyDeletemy parents always told me the same thing, but they forgot we're growing up every day.
Hi Kethleen.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know those things about Chinese New Year. I think nest year you will have a better authentic Chinese new year.
Hi, Kathleen. Don't be sad. Even though we don't have a native spring festival in Chicago, we have a native Christmas here. If you want, we can have a native celebration of chinese spring festival next year In Kyle's home. Is it good? Lol!!!!!!! I know that it is a little sad. But there are something interesting here. Let's find them together.
ReplyDeleteKathleen. Sometime we think we lose something, actually we don't. Leaving China, we lost a lot of things that we used to knowing, but you gained some new friends and a new world.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely essay Kathleen!, I didn't know how you celebrating christmas and it's very interesting to know!
ReplyDeleteIt's still sad that your family can't arrange everything for New Years Eve like they did those days in China, but it's still a great feeling to have them around you ;)
Kathleen. Your essay makes me remember lots of things. Thank you!!!
ReplyDelete